


Head Over Heels

by Kalice_M



Series: Soulmates [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Arguing, Best Friends, Complete, Cross-Posted on Inkitt, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Domestic Violence, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Fiction, Friendship/Love, Implied Sexual Content, Love, M/M, NA fiction, Novel, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Sexual Content, Soulmates, Violence, Wordcount: 50.000-100.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 20:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 62,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18924274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalice_M/pseuds/Kalice_M
Summary: As far as Chris is concerned, his life couldn't be more mundane. Hour after hour, day after day, his life was just a continuous, tiresome process. Eat, sleep, go to work, and the cycle only went on. That was, until he stumbled upon his brazen soulmate during an odd stroke of luck and his life took a complete one-eighty.





	1. Nice To Meet You Too

**Author's Note:**

> Update Schedule: Every Saturday (but chapters will be ahead on both Wattpad and Inkitt!)
> 
> Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/711395272-head-over-heels-lgbt-author%27s-note  
> Inkitt: https://www.inkitt.com/stories/romance/317063

Sitting up with an exhausted groan, he leaned over to roughly shut off his alarm. He stretched a bit, sighing as he felt a muscle pop, and fell back against his pillows. He attempted to rub the blurriness out of his eyes and stared up at the plain, white ceiling above him blankly. It was finally Saturday meaning he wouldn't have to show up to his boring job. While he supposed that was a good thing, it also sucked because he had made plans prior that he had thought would be fun but now seemed more like a chore.

His day was already somewhat planned out. He was supposed to be meeting up with one of his friends to go to the movies to watch some stupid thriller they had been interested in. While he called them a friend, they were more like a work acquaintance who had nothing better to do. The more he thought about it, the more unappealing it sounded. Nonetheless, he got up to take a quick, cold shower if only to wake him up more. Once finished with that task, Chris grabbed a plain, black, v-neck shirt and some gray jeans to match it.

After looking through his cabinets and his refrigerator for something to eat for breakfast, he came to the conclusion that he would need to go shopping. He ended up leaving out earlier due to that exact reason.

The ride to the store was the normal; Chris contemplating running over a few jaywalking pedestrians, trying to race red lights but failing every time and waiting for minutes on end in frustration for the lights to turn green again.

Chris turned into the parking lot of the store. It was packed, but that was to be expected. It was the weekend after all. He cursed under his breath and flipped a guy off when he stole his parking space. He knew he was only being cranky and a small part in the back of his mind hoped he wouldn't come across the same guy while shopping.

Upon entering the store, he grabbed a shopping cart and searched through the store for the countless items he knew he would need. He paused, digging in his pocket for his phone when he felt it vibrate against his thigh.

[From Drake]: I don't think I'll be able to catch the movie. Made new plans, sorry.

Chris stared down at his phone for a few moments, rereading it a few times as if expecting the words in the text to suddenly change. His put his phone back in his pocket, choosing to not reply because if he did, he was sure it wouldn't exactly be kind. He felt like punching something, smiling at the thought of that  _something_  being the guy's face. He may have not been completely thrilled about the thought of going to the movie theaters, but that didn't mean he was okay with his coworker blowing it off. Seriously, what a jerk move.

After paying for the bags of groceries and placing them in the trunk of his car, he drove home. Once he arrived, he started to put everything in it's respectful place. He thought about the other things he could do to pass the time. Chris didn't want to just sit around at home all day alone. If that were the case, he might as well go to work. At least  _then_  he'd be doing something productive and earning money while at it.

Chris decided to pay a visit to the park. Sure, he wasn't a child anymore, but that small detail didn't make a bit of a difference to him. The park had always been a soothing place for Chris; a place where he could think. His plan for when he arrived was to find a clean park bench to relax against and maybe listen to some music to calm his frayed nerves.

The walk there was relatively short. He ran a hand through his messy black hair, sighing as he felt the sun's hot rays beaming down on him. It was scorching hot in the small town in which he lived and summer time was terrible. He preferred the cold, hence winter being his favorite season, and he was counting down the days in his head until it ended because the heat was practically  _unbearable_.

He glanced up at the sky, wondering with how cloudy and windy it was how the temperature could possibly be so high. He gave a startled yelp when he suddenly bumped into something. He turned his attention away from the clouds and to the  _something_ that happened to be a person in front of him. He felt his heart flutter in his chest.

_What the hell...?_

The male looked to be about the same age as him except maybe a tad bit younger. He had fair skin that appeared unbelievably soft and smooth and long blonde hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail. When the stranger glanced up, a beautiful pair of hazel eyes were revealed.

The figure stared up at him in surprise, presumably for the same reason Chris stared down at him. Glancing down at his glowing veins, he suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe. This was his soulmate... but why was his soulmate male?

_Mother nature has screwed up big time._

In Chris's own confusion, he voiced his thoughts out loud. "You may look feminine, but you aren't female if I'm not mistaken... There's a huge problem here."

The male's eyes narrowed and he spoke in a biting tone that had Chris feeling less threatened and more amused. "Well fuck you, too, then. That's one way of greeting someone; how about a 'hello' or a name first next time?"

Chris rolled his eyes. Well isn't he a feisty little thing? Nonetheless, he took the advice. "My name's Christopher but people call me Chris. And you...?"

"It's Skylar but you can call me Sky."

Chris smiled to himself.

_Such a pretty name._

He didn't tell the stranger this much though. "Even your name is feminine. Are you sure you aren't female? Even just a little bit?" Chris teased, smirking in amusement.

Sky flushed, pushing past Chris to continue his way down the sidewalk. "Whatever, asshole."

Chris's eyes widened, watching as Sky hastily walked away. He shook his head, more to himself than anything, and quickly chased after him. "Wait!"

"I have places to be right now," Sky murmured bitterly.

Chris grabbed Sky's shoulder to halt his quick steps. "I just want your number."

Sky stared at him in suspicion for a moment. After a few seconds of tense silence, he reached into his back pocket and grabbed his phone. He unlocked it and clicked on his contacts before handing it to Chris. "Put your number in."

Chris quickly did as he was told. "So I'm guessing you aren't just going to give me your number, then?" he asked, handing the phone back to sky.

"Nope," Sky answered before turning on his heel and beginning to take his leave once again.

Chris watched as he left, unable to deny how much he felt like he suddenly needed him in his presence. But he wasn't gay, right? He had never been attracted to a male before and he has had plenty of girlfriends and one night stands to know he was sexually attracted to women. Then what was he feeling right now? He supposed the better question was why the universe had decided to set him up with a male.

* * *

Sky smiled to himself as he made his way back home. He had finally found his soulmate and the guy was fucking gorgeous. Sure, he was a bit of a douche bag but Sky could deal with that.

His soulmate, Chris, had slanted dark brown eyes which appeared elegant and unlike himself, he was built with lean muscle. He managed to even pull off his messy raven black hair that almost looked completely untamable.

Self consciously, Sky rose a hand to his long, silky, blonde locks.

_What if he doesn't find me as attractive as I find him? He didn't seem all that pleased with my appearance, let alone the fact that I'm a guy. I guess I can always cut my hair if that's what it comes down to..._

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his troubled mind. His thoughts were filled with complete nonsense. Chris  _had_ asked him for his phone number when Sky was too embarrassed to stick around any longer. Green flag? He could only hope.

He opened his text messages on his phone.

[Sky]: Guess what?

He received a reply almost immediately and he couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes if he had deliberately tried.

[Cassandra]: Has the zombie apocalypse finally started?

[Sky]: You make me question why I even talk to you sometimes.

[Cassandra]: Aw...I thought you loved me! But on a serious note, what?

[Sky]: Just found my soulmate.

[Cassandra]: ... What the hell? Are you serious? How can you say that like it's nothing? What's his name? Is he hot? Please tell me he's hot...

[Sky]: According to my standards, yes, he's hot but that shouldn't matter to you considering you aren't going anywhere near him. If he knew I was associated with you, he'd probably delete my number immediately whether he's my soulmate or not. You have that effect on people. His name is Chris.

[Cassandra]: Now I don't know whether I should be excited for you or planning to attack you the next time I see you.

[Sky]: Either way I'm sure I'll be fine.

[Cassandra]: Whatever! Sadly, I gotta let you go. I better be meeting up with this Chris guy soon though! Bye love!

[Sky]: Ttyl

After the mildly amusing conversation, Sky placed his phone back in his pocket so he could pay better attention to his surroundings. His thoughts were trained on one person the whole way home; his soulmate.

* * *

It had been about a week since Chris's encounter with his soulmate. Chris was in a terrible mood and as the days and hours passed, he wanted nothing more than to be close to his soulmate. He couldn't understand these feelings of frustration no matter how much he tried. Why did he care about someone more than life itself after only seeing them  _once_?

He pulled out his computer to search for information about how the whole soulmate thing worked. Before now, he had never been interested enough to find out. He honestly never believed he would even come across his soulmate.

He clicked on a page and read the information that was provided on the website.

_When someone comes across their soulmate, a chemical is released in their brain that develops an almost immediate connection between the pair. They will feel somewhat of a burning sensation through their veins and said veins will began to glow and beat the same beat as their partner's creating a unified pulse. The chemical that is released is much like pheromones, except exponentially stronger. This will create a bond between the pair, making them near inseparable._

Chris scoffed. Well that explained his sudden attraction to Sky. He wondered if they weren't soulmates, if he would still think of Sky the way he did currently. Sky seemed perfect in his eyes, like a beautiful angel sent from above. He shook his head to clear these sappy thoughts, focusing on reading the next paragraph.

_There are some flaws in the process. Due to the established link between soulmates, if you meet your soulmate and they pass away or are no longer in your presence for a long period of time, this will cause a part of you to essentially die or disappear as well which may cause heavy depression. Most people are never able to overcome this depression and end up taking their own life to be with their fated one._

Chris shuddered. That didn't sound so pleasant and he grimaced as worry washed over him. If Sky decided to never contact him and they never ended up crossing paths again, would Chris be in a similar state? He could only hope not.

_In the rare case that someone never meets their soulmate, their life will continue as normal. People have reported feeling as if a part of themselves is missing, like a part of themselves was never there, but according to research, this is a minor feeling and they will be able to move on easily enough._

After Chris finished reading the article, he shut his laptop and fell back against his couch with a groan. His attention snapped to his phone for the one hundredth time that day when his phone suddenly lit up with a small vibrate. He clicked on the message, crossing his fingers.

[From Unknown Sender]: Hey, it's Sky.

Chris grinned, pumping his fist in the air with a shout of triumph. He quickly added the number to his contacts and dedicated the number to memory.

[Chris]: Took you long enough to message me.

[Sky]: My bad. Do you want to hangout sometime soon?

[Chris]: Sure, anytime this weekend or the next will be fine. I have work Monday-Friday.

[Sky]: That works, how about tomorrow? We can meet up at the park.

[Chris]: That sounds fine. I'll meet you there tomorrow at around twelve in the afternoon?

[Sky]: Great, see you then.

Chris smiled to himself. He would finally be able to see his soulmate again and tomorrow nonetheless. Maybe mother nature hadn't screwed up as bad as he had originally thought?


	2. Love-struck

Sky’s eyes slowly blinked open, squinting at the bright light beaming through the window. He laid awake in confusion.

Wasn’t there something important he had to do today?

He knew he was aching for something, but what? He was reaching for his phone that lay resting on his nightstand when he suddenly froze. He was supposed to be meeting up with Chris today; his newly discovered soulmate.

Sky jumped out of bed in excitement, instantly moving to look through his wardrobe for something decent to wear. He was ultimately glad no one was in the room with him to see the scene because he would probably never hear the end of it and he could only take so much embarrassment. He stole a quick glance at his phone for the time. He had plenty of time; three whole hours to get ready and to prepare himself mentally for his next meeting with Chris.

After finding a suitable outfit, he set out to take a shower. He wanted nothing more than to please his soulmate considering they hadn’t managed to click the first time they met.  He ended up using some somewhat girly smelling shampoo that Cass had gifted him as a joke.

It had all started with Sky complaining to her about how unnecessarily strong most men’s shampoo smelled and that females were lucky they could leave the house smelling of a soft lavender scent without being constantly teased about it. Around a week later, Cass had shown up to his door with a small basket carrying a variety of shampoos she had apparently no use for. She seemed to find the whole thing hysterical, but Sky was ultimately pleased. The scent of the shampoo pleased him, so why should he give a damn about what anyone else thought?

Sky showered swiftly, drying himself off before stepping out of the shower. He dressed himself in a pair of gray jeans and a plain white t-shirt. It was a simple outfit, but it was way too hot outside to try to shoot for something fancier.

Sky threw his hair up in his signature low ponytail, now completely finished getting ready with two hours to spare. What to do with that spare time, he had no idea. For a start, he could eat breakfast.

Sky settled for a simple bowl of cereal, looking through his phone with a trace of boredom. He paused when his phone suddenly began to vibrate and a caller id popped up on the screen. It was Chris. Sky answered his phone immediately, bringing it up to his ear and waiting for that familiar, smooth voice to sound.

“Hello?”

And how wonderful his voice sounded, drawing a content sigh from Sky.

“Hey,” Sky greeted as calmly as he could manage.

“I was just calling to make sure you remembered the plans we made yesterday to meet up.” Chris’s voice sounded just as relieved as Sky felt. “I’m guessing you did….right?”

“Yeah, I remembered,” Sky replied with a murmured, “how could I forget,” under his breath.

“Great. Uh… I guess I’ll see you there.”

“See you.”

* * *

When the time finally came around for him to be heading out, Sky was practically glowing with excitement. Those seven days of separation felt like a million, and he wanted nothing more than to simply be in the presence of his soulmate.

When he arrived at the park, he instantly noticed a familiar head of unruly, raven black hair. Turns out Chris had arrived even earlier than him which was odd considering Sky had arrived considerably early himself. Chris was seated at a park bench, faced away from Sky so he didn’t notice when Sky made an appearance.

Sky strolled up to Chris and gently tapped him on the shoulder. Chris turned around to see who was trying to gain his attention, his initial confusion instantly being replaced by surprise. He stood up from the park bench, walking around it until he stood in front of Sky.

Awkward silence followed. Just wonderful.

Sky inwardly debated how to go about greeting his soulmate. His instincts wanted him to embrace him, but his mind overlooked the idea and thought a simple “hello” would do. After a moment of just standing there, Sky sighed and decided to follow his instincts.

Sky walked right up to Chris and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in his firm chest. Chris smiled in amusement, returning the embrace while gently nuzzling his blonde locks.

Chris breathed in, sighing at Sky’s scent. “You smell good…” he observed. “Did you roll around in a field of flowers before coming here?”

Sky pulled back, staring into Chris’s dark eyes. “Nope, it’s called shampoo. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it,” Sky teased. He was only poking fun, though. Chris smelled amazing and undoubtedly manlier.

“Ouch,” Chris muttered, feigning hurt. “Are you always so snappy?”

“When I want to be,” Sky replied with a shrug. “I thought we could go to this cafe not too far away from here. We could grab some lunch there and get to know each other better.”

“Alright,” Chris agreed with a grin. “Lead the way.”

* * *

When they arrived at the cafe, they decided to sit in a small booth towards the back of the bistro across from each other. When the waitress arrived at their table to take their orders, Sky felt a pang of jealousy and annoyance when he noticed Chris’s gaze lingering for a bit too long on the lady. It didn’t help that the waitress was being blatantly flirty with Chris, either.

Chris smiled sweetly at the waitress as she took off to place their orders. When Chris turned his attention back to Sky, his smile was quickly replaced with a small frown. “What?”

Sky sat across from him, his eyes narrowed and his finger tapping impatiently against the wooden table. “Don’t worry about it, fuckboy.”

Chris rolled his eyes with a sigh. “You can’t be serious. I only smiled at her.”

Sky slumped down in his seat, unconsciously pulling strands of hair out of his ponytail and watching as they fell over his face. “How many people have you been with?”

Chris shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s not like I’ve been keeping count.”

“Give me a estimate”

Chris sat in thought for a while. Truthfully, he could easily provide Sky with the answer he wanted but he didn’t want to upset him more than he already had. The number was high, and he didn’t want to prove Sky’s statement correct. To be fair, he hadn’t been in a serious relationship for some years and the last time he had a casual hookup with a woman had been in his college years. As a full grown adult with adult responsibilities, he hardly had time to deal with other people. To be honest, it was more so because he genuinely didn’t want to.

“Well?” Sky asked impatiently, nudging Chris’s foot under the table. “You can round down if that makes this any easier.”

“Uh… thirty…?” Chris answered, the initial statement trailing off into a question. Well, he’d been told he was a terrible liar.

“Thirty? Are you serious?” Sky questioned with a face that suggested he was more intrigued than annoyed. “Or are there more and you're just lying to save your precious image?”

Just then the waitress arrived at the table with their drinks. She bent over with a wink as she placed the drinks down, giving the males a perfect view of her cleavage. Chris turned away from the scene to avoid another outburst from Sky, but apparently, it was already too late for that.

“Look, lady. If you wanted to show off you should have just become a stripper. Can you seriously just fucking stop?” Sky asked, a heated glare now aimed at the waitress. Sky opened his mouth to spout some more insults but was cut off when he felt Chris kick him under the table, silently pleading for him to keep his less than friendly comments to himself.

The lady flushed, opening her mouth as if about to say something before quickly turning on her heel and stomping away with a few muttered insults under her breath.

“Well, that was uncalled for,” Chris murmured, covering his now burning face in slight embarrassment.

“The bitch needs to stop trying to show off, then,” Sky replied with a shrug, picking at his clothes self consciously.

Chris stared at Sky through the gap of his now parted fingers. “For such a pretty face you sure have a foul mouth. Matter of fact, how many people have _you_ been with?”

“Two,” Sky answered instantly. “And I was young. The relationships really didn’t even mean anything. I’ve always wanted to wait to share all of my special moments with my soulmate when I found them. In other words, I haven’t even done anything. Not even kissed.”

Chris whistled lowly in astonishment. “Are you trying to make me feel guilty?” Chris couldn’t even describe how bad he felt. In contrast, his inner self was pleased and undoubtedly relieved. His soulmate was unbelievably pure.  “We’ll have to fix the kiss thing soon,” Chris said with an unsure smile.

Sky hummed in agreement, smirking slightly. “How old are you, anyway?”

“I’m twenty-four glorious years,” Chris answered, reaching across the table to take ahold of Sky’s hand. “How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-three,” Sky answered as he gave Chris’s hand a small squeeze in return.

At that moment another waitress arrived at the table with their sandwiches. Apparently, the other waitress wasn’t planning on being their server for the rest of the evening. Sky smiled in satisfaction at that realization. After the waitress typically asked if they needed anything else, she disappeared into the kitchen.

“You scared the other waitress away,” Chris observed with a laugh.

Sky was going to answer when he suddenly received a text. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check his messages.

[Cassandra]: Where are you right now? Can I come over?

“Who’s that?” Chris asked, a trace of interest coloring his voice.

“A friend,” Sky answered with a motion for Chris to give him a moment.

[Sky]: I’m out right now. What’s the problem?

[Cassandra]: Well, shit. My brother’s pissing me off again. I just wanted to get away from him for a while and clear my head. Where are you?

[Sky]: I'm out with my soulmate. I don’t think he’d mind if you tagged along. I could ask.

[Cassandra]: As much as I want to, I don’t want to intrude. Well, I guess I should let you get back to that, then. Have fun on your date, love, and make sure to tell me all about it later!

[Sky]: If you need anything, just call me, and I’ll _think_ about telling you all the details later.

Sky put his phone back in his pocket and glanced up at Chris with a slight smile. “Sorry about that.”

Chris finished chewing his food before speaking. “Don’t worry about it. So who’s your friend?”

“It was just my friend Cassandra. She was just wondering if she could come over,” Sky answered. “I told her that I’m currently with you. That’s all.”

Chris nodded, scooting out of his side of the booth to sit next to Sky. Sky stared at him in suspicion, wondering just what in the hell he was up to. Chris turned to face Sky, gently cupping his face. Chris tilted Sky’s head up slightly, smiled encouragingly when Sky began to blush; finally having figured out what was going on.

Chris began to slowly lean in, tilting his head to the right, never once breaking eye contact with Sky unless it was to glance down at his lips.

Sky tilted his head to the right as well, his eyes fluttering shut. He may have appeared composed, but inside, he was sure he was dying. He was a nervous wreck.

He was finally about to have his first kiss.

Chris pressed his lips against Sky’s lightly at first; testing to see if Sky would freak out. When Sky appeared to be doing just fine, he connected their lips together more firmly, gently sucking on his bottom lip. Sky was hesitant at first, but soon enough he fell into rhythm with Chris.

Sky’s lips were extremely soft, and Chris swore this kiss felt better than any other he’d ever experienced.  

Sky, on the other hand, was in pure bliss. He had to wonder if Chris was an amazing kisser, or if it felt so good because it was the only thing he’d ever experienced before. Probably a mixture of both.

Chris pulled Sky’s bottom lip between his teeth gently for a moment before separating. He watched as Sky panted from lack of breath, his eyes slightly wider than usual.

Chris leaned in again to whisper in Sky’s ear. “Good?”

Sky pressed a hand against his chest to push him back and simply stared; too flustered to attempt to answer the question correctly. Instead, he decided to voice the first thing that came to his mind.

“You’re definitely a fuckboy.”

Chris only laughed. “So mean…”

* * *

Once they had finished their meal, Chris offered to walk Sky home.

“In case you still haven’t figured it out since the day we first met, I’m male,” Sky murmured, frowning at the memory.

Chris laughed nervously. “Sorry about that… I was just shocked.”

“About what?” Sky questioned, “There are a million things to be surprised about.”

“Well, I was mostly surprised about the fact that you’re male. I’ve never been with a male nor shown any interest in males until I met you,” Chris admitted.

Sky frowned. “Good surprise or bad?”

“Splendid surprise,” Chris answered with a wink. “So are there any parents I’ll have to meet, or…?”

“Well aren’t you moving fast?” Sky teased, huffing out a few breaths of laughter. “You don’t have to worry about it. I’ve kind of cut off connections with my parents a few years ago.”

“Why is that?” Chris questioned, not wanting to pry but genuinely curious.

“They weren’t exactly approving of my sexuality,” Sky replied with a shrug. “I say they, but it was mostly my father. He was pissed when I came out to him, desperately trying to convince me it was just a phase and that it’ll pass. My mother wasn’t entirely pleased, but at least she didn’t try to fucking shun me. Besides, they live an entire state away. I moved here sometime after I finished college.”

Sky was almost shocked at how easy it was for him to share his past with Chris. He’d never been comfortable with talking about it, but with Chris it was different. He felt safe; like he could tell him anything and he would still stick by his side.

Chris nodded. “Why’d you move here of all places? It’s just a small, boring town; nothing all that exciting.”

Sky smiled at that statement. He’d been asked that question numerous times. “I don’t feel that way. For me, this _small, boring town_ is made up of childhood memories. Memories I’d never want to forget because they are just that important to me.”

“Well aren’t you poetic?” Chris asked teasingly with a smile. “Well, we can make our own memories here, together.” He said this as he reached down to intertwine their fingers together, giving Sky’s hand a comforting squeeze.

Sky only smiled. He couldn’t help but to wonder if this is what it felt to have a soulmate. Like safety, comfort, and _home_.

“Well this is it,” Sky stated as they came into view of the small apartment complex in which he lived. “Thanks for walking me home.”

“Oh, don’t thank me. It’s all my pleasure,” Chris replied, wrapping an arm around Sky’s waist to pull him into one last gentle hug. “At least now I know where you live.”  
Sky laughed, pulling away from Chris to point a finger at him. “You need to chill. Don’t pull any stalker bullshit on me.”

Chris shook his head, smiling like a love-struck schoolboy. “See you, Sky. Call me later?”

“Can do.”


	3. Right Or Guilty

**[Warning!] Language and use of gay slur.**

 

Sky felt content with how the date had gone, but he still couldn't seem to shake the feeling of worry. When Cass had texted him, he immediately knew something was up. She wasn't the type to text so seriously. Not to mention, if her brother was involved, there had to be a problem. Probably a  _serious_ problem for that matter.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text message asking her where she was. When he didn't immediately receive a reply, he decided to head to her house to check on her. He didn't know what he would do if she had been hurt.

* * *

When he arrived, he instantly noticed the ruckus coming from her home.

"Get the fuck out of my house Ryan!"

A crash.

"You don't care about anyone but yourself, do you? All you ever do is look out for your own ass! You're such a selfish bitch!"

Sky sprinted up to the door, testing the doorknob only to find out the door was already unlocked. He opened the door slowly, peering inside to see Cass backed up into a wall with her brother standing in front of her. He practically towered over her, and if that didn't look insanely threatening, he didn't know what did.. He ran inside, not bothering to make his presence known.

"Hey!" Sky shouted with a glare, gaining the attention of the siblings. "Fuck off, Ryan."

Ryan took a step back with a raised eyebrow. "What is this faggot doing here?"

Sky ignored the comment in favor of making his way toward Cass. He grabbed her arm with a murmured, "come on". He had witnessed the two of them get into plenty of fights, but none of them ever seemed to get this bad.

"Let her go," Ryan commanded, his eyes narrowing threateningly. "This isn't any of your business. Leave. You need to learn your place, Skylar."

When Sky didn't immediately heed the order, Ryan grabbed a nearby vase and launched it at the blond. Sky ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit by the porcelain container.

Sky didn't possess a great amount of patience, and at that moment, it completely ran out.

He tore his attention away from Cass to make his way over to her brother. Ryan grunted in shock when Sky raised a fist, his knuckles instantly connecting with the side of his face.

"No!" Cass screamed in a fit of panic. "Don't hurt him!"

After having recovered from his initial shock, Ryan grabbed Sky by his neck and effectively cut off his air supply. "This is your last chance to leave. I suggest you take it before I have to seriously hurt you."

Sky's eyes widened slightly, his hands coming up to try to peel Ryan's fingers off from around his neck. The action proved to be futile; his grip was far too tight. Sky felt himself being lifted off of the ground slightly until his feet were dangling in the air. Staring into deep brown eyes, Sky never felt so scared in his life. He had dealt with Ryan numerous times in the past, but each time, his threats had always seemed like nothing more than a that; a threat. Now, his threat seemed more like a promise and that  _terrified_ him.

Cass grabbed a plate from the counter and launched it at Ryan with a shout for him to stop. Ryan released Sky to duck out of the way, watching as the plate crashed into the counter behind him and shattered into pieces.

Sky instantly took the chance to run towards Cass; practically throwing the brunette over his shoulder as he stumbled out of the door. "We need to go," he wheezed, coughing slightly.

Once they were a good enough distance away Sky let Cass down, inspecting her to make sure she hadn't been harmed. "We need to call the police. You should never be chased out of your own home; let alone by your own brother. You can't keep protecting him every time he goes berserk. This is getting serious."

Cass shook her head, her eyes watering up slightly. "We can't. He's just in a bad situation and he's getting desperate. He isn't really a bad guy."

"Cassandra-"

"No! We aren't going to call the police on him!" Cass shouted in frustration. She sighed, glancing at her feet. She looked conflicted, like she knew it was the right choice, but she also thought it was wrong; something she would eventually grow to regret. "I'm sorry... I just can't call the police on my own brother. Besides, it isn't like he broke in. I opened the door for him. I knew this might happen, but I did it, anyway. It's my fault, too."

Sky's eyebrow rose in disbelief. "He assaulted you."

How Cass could possibly blame herself for anything that had happened completely confused and unnerved him. He couldn't help but to wonder just what in the hell was going through her mind at that moment.

Cass groaned. "I get that, Sky, but you have to understand. He's my  _brother_. My own flesh and blood. That would be like me calling the police on you! I just can't, okay? I could never..."

Sky didn't understand. He'd never been particularly close to his family so he didn't get Cass's urge to protect her brother even after what he did. If he had been in that situation with a family member, he would have instantly called the police if he hadn't already kicked their ass. He decided not to voice this, though. Instead, he chose to go along with Cass's wishes if only for that moment.

"Okay."

* * *

They walked together in comfortable silence before arriving at Sky's apartment. As soon as they entered, Sky moved to clean up a bit and offered to run a bath for Cass. She agreed with a silent nod of her head, Sky handing her some towels. Upon entering the bathroom, Cass burst out in laughter and to say it startled Sky would be an understatement.

"What?" Sky questioned, peeking his head in the door.

Cass shook her head slightly with a small grin. "You kept the shampoo I gave you?"

Sky rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Big deal."

He exited the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He briefly thought about cooking dinner, but the thought was overruled with the idea of simply ordering pizza. He called in the order as he entered his bedroom. He grabbed a small mirror that was located on his dresser and examined the bruise on his neck left from Ryan's fingers. I didn't look too bad. He reasoned it should be gone in a few days, if not less.

"Sky!"

Sky jerked slightly in surprise at the yell of his name. After having finished his call, he moved to stand outside the bathroom door before responding. "Yeah?"

"I just realized I didn't bring a change of clothes and I'm already in the tub," Cass explained. "Could I borrow some of yours?"

Sky was about to agree when he remember something. "Actually, the last few times you stayed over you left your clothes and I forgot to return them. I washed them a while ago so they're all clean. I'll go get you those instead, okay?"

Sky heard a sigh of relief from inside the bathroom. "Thank god... I was worrying about what to do about the lack of underwear."

Sky spared a laugh before going to retrieve the garments. When he returned, he warned Cass to shut the shower curtain before entering the bathroom.

"I put them on the counter."

Cass peeked her head from around the shower curtain to see for herself. "Oh... thanks."

"No problem."

The rest of the evening was spent with small bouts of casual conversation and wasting time by watching movies. Although Cass seemed to be fine, Sky knew it was just an act. He had even questioned her about it, but Cass almost immediately dismissed the inquiry with another joke. Sky decided not to pry. He understood she was probably still hurting and as much as it annoyed him, there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was be there for her and give her time until she was ready to speak on the situation.

It was a sensitive topic, after all.

She typically didn't speak much about her family because much like Sky, her family was dysfunctional. When something like what had happened that day occurred again, because he knew it would since it  _always_ did, Sky would try to be there for Cass and offer any sort of comfort he could.

Just like always.

* * *

Chris sat at home lounging on his couch, waiting in anticipation for the phone call that he was sure he would receive. If Sky didn't want to call, he would have just chosen to decline, right? Or at the very least he wouldn't have agreed to it. But as the night wore on, Chris began to have his doubts.

The date went well, didn't it?

Their date started off a little shaky but Chris had thought the outcome more than made up for that. He couldn't help but to think maybe he had read the situation wrong. Sky never did answer his question about the kiss. It almost seemed like he was avoiding having to answer which couldn't be good.

Chris himself couldn't explain why he had kissed Sky so suddenly. It just happened. A part of him knew why the sudden urge came to him, though.

Sky was different than any of his past partners. He was untouched, pure in every sense of the word. When Sky had shared this fact with him, he was obviously pleased, but a part of him wanted to change that, to lay his own claim on Sky's lips before anyone else could get the chance to. The biggest reasoning behind his impulsive decision had no doubt been their bond, however. The fact that Sky was his soulmate made it  _that_  much easier for him to trust him and be comfortable in his presence.

The fact that Sky was his soulmate made it that much easier to be  _reckless_.

That brought him back to his original thoughts. Sky hadn't minded his impulsiveness, right? Why hadn't Sky spoken of it? A small part in the back of his mind knew he was being ridiculous, but that didn't seize his worrying in the slightest.

When it had started to approach midnight, Chris decided to make the call himself. He hoped Sky would still be awake though the chance was slim considering Sky had work the next morning just like himself. Now that he thought about it, he should probably be asleep, as well, but at that moment nothing was more important than hearing his soulmate's voice again.

After four rings, Chris had come to the conclusion that Sky wouldn't pick up, but just then the ringing stopped and a familiar voice sounded on the other line.

"Hey, Chris. Sorry, I meant to call you but the thought completely slipped my mind."

Chris smiled at that. "It's fine."

"Don't you think it's a little late for a phone call?"

"Nope," Chris answered immediately. "I was worried you just didn't want to talk period. Glad that isn't the case..."

"Yeah... Things came up and I got distracted. Any normal day I'd be asleep by now."

Sky seemed to be trying to speak quietly, communicating in a near whisper, and Chris had to wonder if he lived with anyone else and what was the reasoning behind his quiet tone. Maybe he wanted to avoid waking up whoever it was. He chose not to be nosy and instead decided to voice another thought that was on his mind.

"Oh, okay. If you don't mind me asking, when do you get off of work? It would be kinda inconvenient only being able to see one another on the weekends."

"Uh... around five."

"Okay." Chris grinned. "Thanks."

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I seriously have to go. I have to take care of some things and I need to try to get some sleep."

Chris nodded in understanding. "Alright. Goodnight, Sky."

"Goodnight."

After ending the call, Chris set out to put his phone on it's charger before preparing for bed. His initial loneliness and boredom seemed to fade away like a thing of the past when he had met Sky. It was almost as if Sky had shone a bright light in his once dull life. Opening new opportunities for Chris that he never knew were there.

Chris was thankful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update because why not? \\(O.O)/


	4. Make The Call

Two days passed, Chris not having any sort of contact with Sky. He was already feeling agitated even though he had just spoken to Sky two days prior. Chris wanted Sky in front of him; to be able to run his hands through his soft, blonde locks. He knew he could always call Sky himself but he didn't want to appear desperate so, instead, he opt to wait until Sky got the chance to call him.

But as the days continued to pass, he still hadn't received a call.

Chris had to wonder if the bond imposed on the two of them was somehow stronger for him than it was for Sky. While Chris always seemed to crave Sky's simple  _presence_ , Sky always seemed completely fine and composed. Maybe Sky just didn't care for Chris as much as he cared for him. While the possibility unnerved him, it made sense.

He hadn't ever had someone like Sky in his life.

When he arrived home from another long, boring day of work, he decided to give his parents a call. He thought it'd be best to inform them of his newly discovered soulmate... not to mention his gender.

He briefly wondered how his parents would react but decided no matter what they said it wouldn't be a big deal. If they were accepting, that'd be wonderful, but if not, it wasn't as if he lived with them so he wouldn't have to put up with their antics. He vowed to stay by Sky's side as long as he was allowed to, no matter what happened.

_Maybe I am thinking too far ahead...?_

Chris listened as the phone rang, pacing back and forth in his living room. Just when he thought they might not answer, he heard a feminine voice on the other line.

"You haven't called in forever!"

Chris grimaced at the angry greeting. "I'm sorry. I meant to, but life keeps getting in the way. I have some interesting news for you."

"Do you now?"

"I found my soulmate..." Chris muttered, smiling to himself stupidly. His parents had always waited for the day where Chris would find that special person to devote his life to.

They had known about his habit of sleeping around; not wanting to ever settle down. There had been a time where his mother and father thought he'd never settle down. While they weren't exactly approving of the behavior in his juvenile years, they never did anything about it. It was almost as if they were pretending it wasn't happening.

Realizing she had stayed silent longer than considered normal for conversation, his mother spoke again. "Wow... that's great. Is she a pretty fellow? Wait... forget I asked that. What I meant to ask was if she is kind; personality is always more important than appearance."

"About that..." Chris sighed, his eyebrows furrowing, "It isn't a she. My soulmate is actually male."

Silence followed, the quiet somehow cutting deeper than any scream ever could.

"Um..." His mother trailed off as if at a lost for words. Chris heard a shaky sigh on the other line. "How is that possible? You've never been attracted to a male before..."

Chris didn't blame her for asking, he'd thought the same thing himself when he first found out. He thought for a moment before responding. "I don't know... but I feel attracted to him. I can't even stand not being around him anymore."

His mother laughed softly. "Do you have a picture of him? I'd like to know what my son's soulmate looks like."

_I really should get a picture, shouldn't I?_

"Uh... no. Not yet, anyway. I'll send you a picture soon if I can get one. For now, though, I can describe him to you," Chris offered, moving to take a seat at his couch. He hadn't anticipated the conversation lasting for so long.

"Give me all the details. I'm curious..."

Chris thought for a while before describing his soulmate to the best of his ability. "He has long blonde hair that he wears in a ponytail, hazel eyes, and his features are kinda soft. Oh yeah, he's pretty short, too."

His mother hummed in acknowledgement. "I'll definitely have to see for myself. What about his personality?"

"He's forward, says what he thinks without a thought. I guess that makes him honest too." Chris tried to think of more to tell her, but came up short. He'd only hung out with Sky two times so he didn't know all that much. What he didn't bother telling her was he was snappy; a truly feisty little thing. "That's all I can tell you for now."

"Mm... does he have a name?"

"It's Sky."

"Alright... he doesn't seem too bad. I'll make sure to share the news with your father. I'd let you yourself, but he's at work currently and won't be home until a couple of hours." She gave a pause, a sad sigh escaping her lips. "Stay loyal to Sky. He isn't like any of your past mindless flings, he's your one and only soulmate. Don't mess this up."

Chris frowned, his face flushing at the mention of his past. "Yeah mom, I know. I don't plan to mess this up..."

"Good. Bye Chris, I love you."

"Bye, love you."

Chris hung up, staring at his phone blankly for a few moments before placing it on his coffee table, and moving on with his day.

* * *

The next day Chris decided to pay a surprise visit to Sky after he got off of work. Sky finished work a whole hour before him so he didn't have to worry about that. He could only hope Sky would be home.

Chris knocked on the door, shifting from foot to foot nervously. After a few moments, the door opened and a familiar face appeared. Sky didn't exactly look like his normal self though, he looked tired and quite frankly, a mess. His hair was disheveled and his clothes disorientated. None of this matter to Chris however, he was just glad to see his soulmate.

Sky blinked down at him lazily. "I'm never letting anyone walk me home again..." He murmured, his hand moving to his mouth to cover a yawn.

Chris hugged him briefly, laughing at the slightly slurred comment. "I missed you..."

"It's only been three days."

"Well it feels like a thousand," Chris replied with a roll of his eyes. "You should really call me more often."

"Sorry," Sky shrugged. "It's just been a really long and tiring three days."

"I can tell."

When Chris backed up from the embrace, he frowned when he noticed something.

_Is that a bruise...?_

There was a purple bruise wrapped around Sky's neck. He was almost ashamed to admit he felt relieved when he noticed it was the shape of hands. That only brought up a bigger question though; who did it? It looked like it had been there for a while, but he was sure it wasn't there on their date. That could only mean it happened while they were apart, and not too long ago.

Chris bristled at the thought of someone intentionally harming Sky.

"Who did this to you?" Chris questioned, running a hand along Sky's neck. His tone was stern, leaving no room for lying, or trying to avoid the question all together. "Who hurt you?"

Sky's tired eyes widened at his soulmates sudden change of spirit. He had completely forgotten about the bruise and he was surprised Chris had noticed it. It was almost completely faded away; how Chris almost immediately saw it, he had no idea.

"Shit... well to put it simply, I got into a fight with someone and they may or may not have tried to strangle me..." Sky said in a light tone that was meant to come off as more of a joke than anything. He knew it was a big deal as well as the next person, but that didn't mean he had to acknowledge it as one. Hazel eyes searched his soulmate's for a reaction.

He definitely got one.

"How can you say that like it's nothing?" Chris practically exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who did it? What's this guy's name?"

"I don't know," Sky lied with a shrug. "I didn't think to ask him."

Chris stared at him dubiously for a moment before eventually letting out a tired sigh and deciding to drop the topic. "Well, can I come in? Please?"

Sky stared at Chris from the doorway before stepping aside. "Since you asked so nicely. Enter at your own risk, though," he teased, moving to sit on his living room couch but not before casting Chris a cheeky glance.

He had wanted to tell Chris the truth so badly. He thought that maybe, then, Chris would call the police and the whole thing would be off his conscious, but he couldn't do that to Cass. Not to mention, Chris seemed more intent on causing Ryan physical harm rather than reporting him.

Cass was still with him at the moment because he didn't feel comfortable letting her go home just yet. He worried that Ryan was still there. While the idea seemed extreme, with Ryan, anything was possible. Besides, he planned to take her out to replace some of the items that had been broken or damaged in the fight when he got a chance.

As if on cue, Sky suddenly heard Cass's voice from inside his room. "Is someone here?"

Her voice sounded just as slurred as Sky's had when he first opened to door. They had both been taking a late nap when the knock had sounded. If Sky had known the person on the other side of the door was Chris, he would have tried to fix himself up a bit but it was a little too late for that.

Oh well, as long as it didn't bother him.

"Yeah," Sky yelled back.

"Who's that?" He heard Chris question behind him rather curiously.

"She's the same friend I mentioned when we were at the Cafe," Sky answered, gazing at Chris as he laid down on the couch and tried to get comfortable.

* * *

Chris glanced up when he noticed someone entering the room. She was brown skinned with a head of long, dark brown braids and matching brown eyes. She looked to be about the same height as Sky if not shorter.

She appeared friendly and welcoming, even in such a disheveled state.

"That's Cass, my closest friend," Sky explained, gesturing to her lazily. "And that's Chris, also known as, my soulmate."

Cass regarded him with a lazy gaze. Just when Chris came to the conclusion that she wasn't planning on speaking any time soon, he noticed a grin growing on her lips. A second later, she launched herself at him.

"I've been wanting to meet you! You're just as hot as Sky said you were!"

Chris smirked at that, glancing over to Sky with a raised eyebrow, watching as the blush on his soulmate's cheeks steadily darkened. "Cass, are you fucking serious?" Sky murmured, looking anywhere except into Chris's eyes.

"I'm hot?" Chris echoed with a soft laugh. "Nice to know you think so."

"Don't listen to her, she has issues," Sky muttered, pulling more strands of hair out of his already messy ponytail.

"So..." Cass began, a knowing smirk building on her features. "What do  _you_  think of Sky?"

Chris laughed, deciding he quite liked Cass as a person. She seemed open and from a first impression, a regular ball of sunshine. "I think he's beautiful and I like everything about him," he answered, glancing over at Sky with a smile.

"That kind of talk should be reserved for women..." Sky murmured to himself, but he seemed pleased judging by the growing smile on his lips. "Thank you."

"Aww..." Cass pronounced, fanning her face dramatically. "You guys are so damn cute together! I'm so happy for you guys!" As she said this, she wrapped her arms around Chris once more, grinning like a mad woman.

Chris returned the embrace somewhat hesitantly. "Uh... thank you."

Sensing Chris's sudden nervousness, Sky spoke again. "She's a lot but you get used to it."

"God, I hope so..." Chris chuckled.

* * *

Sky smiled, glad to see Chris at least got along with Cass. That was of no surprise to him, though. Cass was one of the kindest people you could ever meet. Kind, funny, pretty... the list went on. She was Sky's definition of a perfect human being though he never planned on telling her any of that. God knew he would never hear the end of it.

Speaking of appearances, when Chris called him beautiful, he felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. It was a relief to know Chris didn't absolutely hate his appearance though he knew he was being a bit ridiculous to assume such a thing in the first place.

He was glad Chris decided to stop by. There were numerous times when he felt the sudden need to talk to him, to be next to him, but his stubborn mind wouldn't let him make the call. He wasn't sure if he enjoyed the feeling of relying so heavily on another person, but there was one thing he knew for sure.

He was falling for Chris, and fast.


	5. Living On The Edge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update because I'm probably going to be busy this weekend due to Father's Day! Speaking of which, don't forget to tell your father you love him this Sunday! Or don't... your choice, lol.
> 
> As a side note, I might actually double update on the weekend anyway because this chapter is so short and somewhat uneventful. We'll see!

Chris ended up staying longer than Sky anticipated, but he wasn’t complaining. He could appreciate the extra company.

After some bickering between the trio, Cass decided to retire to bed. Her excuse was something along the lines of  not wanting to intrude. After Sky called her out on her bullshit, Cass seemingly thinking the situation was hysterical, she did just that.

“So… what do you want to do?” Chris questioned, glancing around the living room.

“We could watch a movie if you want,” Sky suggested. “Can’t say I own many. I’m not a big movie guy… or television guy in particular.”

Chris smiled. “That works. Do you happen to have any popcorn?”

“So greedy,” Sky murmured, an amused expression taking over his features. “There are some packets in one of the cabinets. Try not to burn the house down.”

Chris scoffed, an eyebrow raised. “I’m sure I can handle microwaving a packet of popcorn.”

“Kernels,” Sky corrected with a smirk. “They’re kernels before they’re popcorn. Get it right moron.”

“I’m going to make you regret those words one day.”

“I’ll look forward to that. Don’t disappoint me.”

* * *

 

 

After Chris finished preparing the caramel popcorn, both him and Sky settled on the couch after finding a suitable movie to watch. It was a relatively old film, but they both agreed it was better than watching one of the stupid Disney films Cass had graced Sky with.

Chris laid out on the sofa, beckoning for Sky to lay out in front of him. Chris was considerably taller than Sky, so he reasoned he wouldn’t have any problem with seeing the movie. After a bit of convincing Sky complied, cuddling up next to the raven haired male.

“This couch is too fucking small for this…” Sky murmured, annoyance blatant in his tone.

“Well stop being so resistant and move closer. It’ll be fine; I'll be able to see the movie and even if you have to lay on me a little, you can’t weigh that much.”

“That isn’t the problem,” Sky muttered, his face flushing slightly.

Chris sighed impatiently, pulling Sky back until there was no more room between them, Sky’s back pressed against Chris’s chest. He laughed softly when he felt Sky trying to struggle out of his tight grip.

“Calm down….” Chris cooed, pressing a gentle kiss to the nape of Sky’s neck. “I just want to hold you.”

Sky’s face flushed bright red and he thanked the stars Chris couldn’t see it. Nonetheless, he listened, lying still in Chris’s hold.

“Asshole…”

“Mhm… now be quiet, the movie’s starting.”

Sky listened to the order, if not only because he didn’t have any smart aleck responses to reply with. He didn’t mind the close proximity, it was just something entirely different from what he was used to. Sure, he had cuddled up next to Cass countless times,  but this just felt different. 

Sky wasn’t entirely sure if he liked different.

At some point during the film that Sky admittedly wasn’t paying much attention to, he felt Chris began to squirm a bit. He’d do this for a few seconds, and then stop as if giving up on whatever he was attempting to do.

“Do you want me to move?” Sky asked after a few moments. He heard a breathy chuckle from behind him.

“Can you turn over? So I can see your face…”

Sky’s eyebrow rose in suspicion. “Why would you want me to do that?”

“Maybe because I just want to see your pretty face…please?”

“Pretty…” Sky echoed with a scoff and a roll of his eyes. “Okay, it’s no big deal. You could have asked that from the start if you wanted to.”

Sky sat up, turning around until he was practically straddling Chris’s chest. Just before he was going to lay down, he stopped himself as his gaze locked onto Chris’s flushed features. He was staring up at Sky with a sly smirk, his eyes lidded slightly. Chris reached a hand up to cup the back of Sky’s neck, urging him to lean down.

“Can I have a kiss?” The questioned may have seemed innocent if not for the breathy and flirty tone it was spoken in. 

Nonetheless Sky missed the wondrous sensation of kissing so he had no complaints. 

They engaged in a desperate kiss, a little bit less gentle than the first kiss they had shared together. Sky could have sworn this time felt even better, and soon he felt almost drugged by the feeling of their lips pressing together. He almost wished it could continue forever, the two of them never having to stop to take a breath, just going at it  with no cares in the world.

Chris ran his tongue across Sky’s bottom lip, smiling at the surprised gasp he received. He was just about to attempt to coax Sky mouth open when he heard a squeal from across the room. The high pitched noise quickly brought him back to reality. 

“Oh my gosh…” Cass breathed out, covering what might have been a smirk with a hand. “Did I interrupt something? I leave for thirty minutes and I come back to two horndogs going at it.”

“What the fuck, Cass…” Sky murmured, tucking his face in the crook of Chris’s neck in his own embarrassment. “Whatever happened to going to sleep?”

“I may have fucked up my sleeping schedule. Probably shouldn’t have slept throughout most of the day because now I’m going to have one hell of a time trying to get to sleep tonight. If I end up passing out at work that’d suck.” Cass tilted her head in thought, directing her gaze onto Chris. “Why are you trying to take away my bestie’s innocence so soon?”

Sky glanced back up at that, turning to stare at Cass with narrowed eyes. “It isn’t like that and you know it.”

“That’s not what it looks like to me.”

“Cass, go back to sleep before I have to seriously kill you…”

“Sheesh!” Cass exclaimed with an obnoxious laugh. “I’m kidding! If you want me gone that badly, I’ll leave. Goodnight… maybe.”

Sky frowned. “Mhm…” When he heard the door shut behind her to turned to stare down at Chris. Honestly, he couldn’t tell what was going through Chris’s mind. His head was turned to the side, his cheeks flushed a noticeably deeper shade of red than they were before. “It’s fine… Cass was only joking around,” Sky reassured in hopes of a little comfort. 

Apparently, the words didn’t help as much as he would have hoped.

Chris stared up at him with a blank expression, running a hand along Sky’s waist before urging him to get up. Once Sky stood, Chris quickly followed, his lips curving up in a small smile. “I should probably go. I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

Sky stared in confusion until the words finally sank in. He reached a hand out to Chris’s shoulder to halt him when Chris began to turn to walk away. “You don’t have to go. You can stay as long as you want.”

“No… It’s fi-”

“I’m asking you to stay.”

Chris turned to glance over his shoulder, surprised at the soft words that had just left Sky’s mouth. “What?”He had heard well enough, he just wanted to hear the whispered words once more.

“Stay… please.” Sky couldn’t explain his sudden need for Chris to stay, he just knew he didn’t want him to leave. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was probably for the best. He had work the next morning and he needed to get some sleep, but that didn’t stop the words from leaving his mouth. 

Chris thought over his options.

As much as he wanted to be with Sky, he almost felt as if he couldn’t trust himself. He knew it would probably be for the best that he leave even though every single ounce of control in his body wanted to linger in the presence of Sky for a little longer. He had made his decision.

“Sorry… but I’ve got to go.”

Sky stood in shock as he watched Chris hastily exit the door, his hand still reached out from where it had once been on a warm shoulder. 

* * *

The next day passed by quickly, the day after that surprisingly quicker, and then it was the weekend. Once again, no form of contact between Sky and Chris.

Chris felt bad for what he had done, although he couldn’t comprehend why. 

That had been the first time Sky had ever showed he cared for Chris, needed him just as much as Chris needed him. He would have been delighted if the situation it happened in had been different, but whatever. He couldn’t deny he felt relieved. Maybe it would be okay for him to make another unexpected visit?

He did just that, arriving sometime at noon at Sky’s apartment once more. This time he had no plans on staying, instead opting to take Sky out. If the blond let him, that was. He knocked twice on the door, waiting for what felt like minutes.

Just as he was getting the impression no one was home, the door opened. Sky stared down at him with crossed arms and a small annoyed frown. 

“What?”

“You look nice,” Chris complimented with an amused laugh.

Sky stared silently before rolling his eyes and breaking the silence with his next words. “You left.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” Chris sighed. “I know, and I apologize. I had my reasons, though.”

“Reasons like what?”

“It’s not important right now. I said I had reasons but I never said they were necessarily  _ good  _ reasons,” Chris replied with a shrug. “Are you really that annoyed with me or is this just some sort of act to make me feel bad?”

Sky smirked, shaking his head in amusement at the inquiry. “Yes. I’m absolutely  _ pissed  _ you decided to go home. No, Chris, I’m not annoyed with you.” He walked down the porch steps to stand in front of Chris. “Now, why are you here?”

“To take you on an adventure, of course,” Chris joked.

Sky cast a glance over to Chris’s car. “You want to take me where, exactly?”

“Nowhere in particular.”

“Thanks for the information,” Sky laughed. “Should I be skeptical?”

“I’ll let you decide that for yourself,” Chris replied with a smirk, moving around to the passenger seat of the car to open the door for Sky. “Enter at your own risk,” he mocked, quoting Sky from the last time they were together.

“I like a little bit of risk,” Sky replied, taking a seat at the passenger side with little to no hesitation.

Chris smirk only grew. “Do you now?”

* * *

“Holy shit… Chris slow the fuck down!”

Chris laughed but chose not to listen to the command. “This is a long, straight road; no cars to be seen. We’ll be fine.”

“I’m fucking serious—”

“Whatever happened to liking to take risks?” Chris remarked, giving Sky’s knee a quick comforting squeeze.

“I don’t want to fucking die!” Sky practically shrieked, two arms behind the back of his head to hold onto the seat as if it were a lifeline. His eyes were uncharacteristically wide, his long blond hair whipping in the breeze. “Please, slow down! I swear I’m gonna puke…”

Chris decided to finally let up, slowing down to pull off at the side of the road next to a vast field. He watched in amusement as Sky panted, hazel eyes blown wide.

“Dammit…are you... trying to give me a heart attack?” Sky questioned placing a hand over his mouth and another hand on his stomach. “I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes…”

Chris exited the driver's side of the car to walk over to Sky’s, opening the door to offer Sky a hand.

Sky only stared in blatant suspicion. “What now?”

Chris rolled his eyes. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“Whatever,” Sky sighed, taking the offered hand and stepping out of the car.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. There was the warning before you even got in the car and…” Chris trailed off, a grin growing on his lips. “Remember two days ago when I told you I’d make you regret your words?”

Sky frowned at the memory, watching as Chris moved a little ways away from the road to lay down on the soft grass, patting the spot next to him. “All of this because of fucking  _ popcorn _ . You’re such an asshole,” Sky accused even as he moved to sit next to Chris.

“Are you done being a drama queen?” Chris snickered.

Sky paused a few feet away from him, staring down at him in disbelief. “I would like to see  _ your _ reaction if someone tried to blatantly sell you an early ticket to death.”

“You know you’re only proving my point as we speak, right?”

“And you know you’re a jackass with a death wish, right?”

Chris only hummed, stood up, and lunged for Sky; abruptly sending the two of them tumbling to the ground with Chris landing on top of the blond. Sky burst out in laughter despite the air more or less being knocked out of him. “Holy shit… You’re full of surprises and I can’t say I’m complaining…”

Chris shook his head in amusement, leaning down to press his lips into his soulmate’s. He ran a reluctant hand on Sky’s waist that slowly trailed beneath his shirt. He gave a slight pause when he felt his hand brush something on Sky’s lower stomach and pulled away from Sky to glance down at said  _ something _ . 

His eyes widened a bit in shock. “Holy shit, you have a navel piercing?”

Sky huffed out breaths of laughter. “I got it around a year ago. It was a dare from Cass and she got one, too. And wow, I didn’t think you cursed.”

“Only on special occasions,” Chris murmured, now completely entranced on the silver barbell ring protruding from Sky’s belly button. He flicked it in fascination, glancing up when he heard Sky’s sound of protest.

“That feels weird…” Sky murmured, reaching up to flick Chris between the eyebrows. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Chris corrected with a grin. “I’ve always wanted a piercing.”

“Why not get one, then?” 

“I wanted one in high school but my mom was completely against the idea. She said I shouldn’t get into the habit of putting holes in myself.” Chris sighed, “I completely forgot about it after I graduated high school, though. Did it hurt?”

“No… not really. It just feels like a pinch. I could take you to get one someday,” Sky offered with a smile.

Chris returned the gesture. “Maybe I’ll have to take you up on that offer.”

The pair chatted together for a while about countless things before Chris decided it was best they get back on the road. 

“Thank you,” Sky stated. “This was fun despite your initial death wish.”

“It’s no problem. I’m almost willing to do anything if you’re involved,” Chris replied with a wink.

“Just don’t ever do the whole speeding thing again.”

Chris laughed before noticing Sky was deadly serious. Sky’s smile almost immediately disappeared, a frown taking over his features. It was odd considering how carefree and almost giddy Sky had been just a moment ago. 

“You know it was hilarious—”

“I’m serious. Next time you even think about doing that I might have to consider gutting you.”


	6. Perfect Imperfections

A few weeks passed and Chris and Sky attempted to spend as much time around one other as possible whether that meant going out on dates or spending time at either one of their apartments. After some bickering, Sky had managed to get Chris’s address and when he finally worked up the courage to visit, he was left in awe. 

For someone who lived alone, his apartment looked amazing. It wasn’t overly huge but it definitely wasn’t small. After his first visit, Sky spent a lot of time there.

Chris and Sky were quickly learning a lot about one another. 

For instance, Sky learned Chris was very fond of cuddling as odd as that seemed to him. Whenever they were together, he always found a way to become closer and closer until he could weave an arm around Sky middle, opting to get as close as possible. Sky usually didn’t have a problem with it, but when he was trying to get something done, he could admit it got annoying. Even then, he never denied Chris a hug.

Chris learned Sky loved kissing, although that was to be expected considering Chris had been his first kiss ever. Sky had never been the one to initiate a kiss but once Chris did, Sky usually didn’t want to break apart. Chris didn’t mind though. Sky didn’t ask for much, and as long as Chris could please his soulmate, he’d be happy.

Not to mention Chris enjoyed kissing Sky just as much.

Chris currently sat on the couch, Sky spread across it with his head on Chris’s lap. It was the weekend and Sky had decided to make another visit to Chris’s home. For the most part, they weren’t exactly paying all that much attention to one another. Sky was occupied with his phone and doing what, Chris had no idea. Every now and then Sky would laugh or snort at whatever he was giving his attention to, scrolling through something.

“What are you doing?” Chris questioned, raising a curious eyebrow when he felt Sky laughing softly against him.

“Cass keeps sending stupid pictures…” Sky explained, staring up at Chris. He pushed his phone in front of Chris’s face. “Read this,” he insisted. 

Chris’s eyes squinted slightly as he read the text on the meme, laughing softly a moment later. “There’s something wrong with you guys.”

“ _ You guys _ ? Cass sent this to me, I have nothing to do with it.”

Chris laughed. “Well you’re definitely enjoying it.”

Sky rolled his eyes, returning his attention to his phone. “I can admit it’s amusing.”

Chris let Sky have his fun for a few more moments before he grabbed his phone from his hands and threw it onto the coffee table, ignoring the immediate sound of protest he received.

Sky frowned up at Chris. “Well, that was rude…”

“I want to know more about you,” Chris explained as idly ran his fingers through silky, blond locks before placing a comforting hand on Sky’s stomach. “Just… tell me a bit about your life. You have any interesting childhood stories you’re willing to share?”

Sky stared for a few moments, placing an absent hand on top of Chris’s. He thought to himself for a few seconds before he shrugged. “Alright… I’ve always excelled in school. I was bullied a lot throughout high school because I was alone and was therefore an easy target or some shit like that. At one point my parents decided it was best that I move schools because it got so damn bad. I met Cassandra at my new school and we became close simply because we both didn’t really have anybody.”

Sky sighed under his breath before continuing his story. “She was the first person I ever came out to. Well, I say I came out to her but really, she kinda… caught me—” Sky trailed off, his face gaining a heavy tint of red but before Chris could comment on it, he shook his apparent embarrassed off and continued talking. “Anyway, I realised I was into guys sometime during the seventh grade, but I didn’t come out to my parents until sometime after I graduated high school, and as I told you, they weren’t accepting.” Sky gazed up at Chris expectantly and reached up briefly to caress his jaw before asking. “So? Any comments?”

“She caught you doing what, exactly?”

Sky rolled his eyes but the blush across his face revealed more than his next words. “Oh, fuck off. It doesn’t matter.”

Somehow, Chris couldn’t bring himself to let it go. Instead, he smirked down at his soulmate and asked, “did she catch you jerking off—”

“Quit it,” Sky said as he hit him on the thigh. “You’re not funny.”

“I know. I’m hilarious.”

“No, you’re an asshole,” Sky corrected. “There’s a difference.”

Chris finally let out the laugh he was having so much trouble with keeping in. “Somebody’s getting cranky.”

“Well,  _ somebody  _ needs to shut the hell up.” Despite his comment, Sky let out a soft laugh, too, that left a warm feeling in Chris’s stomach. “So what about you? Any stories  _ you  _ wanna share?”

Chris nodded his agreement. If Sky had told him about his life, it would only be fair he did the same.  “I’ve lived in this town my whole life. When I was younger my parents never really cared about where I was or what I was doing as long as it wouldn’t have any negative consequences for them or myself. I was a relatively average student in school for the most part but outside of that, I was horrible.”

“Lucky,” Sky scoffed. “My parents were protective and strict as hell. They didn’t let me do shit unless it involved my education.”

Chris shrugged. “I guess you can look at it that way. It honestly annoyed me more than anything so I started doing blatantly dumb things to get them to pay attention and even then, they hardly cared.”

“Things like what, exactly?”

“Well, for example, I remember the first party I went to. It was my freshman year in highschool and school had just let out. These juniors were throwing this big end of the year pool party and my best friend and I decided we wanted to sneak in despite not having permission from our parents and not even being invited in the first place.” 

Chris sighed and ran a hand through his hair; tousling the dark locks. “So, he picked me up in his dad’s car at around midnight and when we arrived, it was  _ wild _ . That party put those cliche teen movies to shame. That was also the first time I drank alcohol and likewise, I didn’t know my limits and I ended wasted and from that point, I have no idea what happened. All I know is the next morning, I woke up in a bed that wasn’t my own and to my friend arguing with their parents.”

Sky cocked an eyebrow. “You sound like you’ve had one hell of an experience in high school. Not that I didn’t have some idea of that already but still. Got anymore stories you wanna share?”

Chris smiled. “I’ve got about a thousand of them but I don’t want to waste your time.”

Sky sat up to kiss him on the side of his jaw, staring him in the eyes as he said, “as far as I’m concerned, we’ve got all the time in the world.”

* * *

To say Cass was jealous of her best friend’s newfound soulmate was the understatement of the century. She was insanely happy for Sky, though. A fond memory came to mind of the time when they were just small children with wishful thinking and crazy dreams. She used to always make fun of Sky’s loyalty for someone he didn’t even know if he’d meet in the future; his soulmate. The brunette didn’t think he would ever meet his soulmate. She thought the same for herself; the wish just seemed too good to be true.

So when she suddenly began to feel something on her way to work, some sort of need, her eyes widened and she swore she felt her heart stop. She ran, turning a corner and bumping into a couple of cranky citizens in her haste. The sound of their curses was like music in the background. One corner, another, a right, then another, and then a left. She skidded to a stop, staring ahead with wide, brown eyes as she felt a tear roll down her cheek to catch at her chin. 

Her soulmate.

The male across from her stood in shock, taking a hesitant step forward. He was rather tall, built with lean muscle much like Chris except visibly more firm and defined. He had gray, or was it teal, narrow eyes that were almost as wide as her own. Cass couldn’t exactly tell from so far away but that wasn’t even what intrigued her the most. He had piercings and not just one or two. No, he had  _ a lot _ of them. She usually wouldn’t go for a human pin cushion but this mysterious male could seriously pull it off and she loved it. He had two piercings on his right eyebrow, a ring on his nose,  a ring on his mouth, and countless others littered in his ear. His natural red hair was styled in an undercut that suited him perfectly and despite the many emotions running through her at that moment, Cassandra couldn’t help but to think one thing.

Holy shit, her soulmate was a  _ looker _ .

Cass swore she had never seen him before which made close to zero sense considering the mighty small town they lived in. Small enough, everyone practically knew everyone. She supposed that was normal; something anyone would wonder after finally encountering their soulmate.

Why was she thinking so much? She’d finally met her soulmate after all those years of dreaming except this wasn’t some childish dream; this was  _ real life _ . Sometimes, it was best not to think.

Cass sprinted over to the male, jumping into his embrace and wrapping her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck. She ordinarily would have laughed at the surprised gasp she received but now wasn’t the time. 

She buried her face in the crook of the male's neck, panting in her own exhaustion. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you,” Cass said in a faint voice, almost choking the male in her tight hold.

“I didn’t know you existed…” her soulmate murmured, rubbing her back to provide what little comfort he could. “What’s your name?”

“Cassandra…”

“I’m Trevor. It’s nice to finally meet you…”

* * *

Sky was nodding off to sleep when he suddenly received a dozen texts, his phone going off repeatedly. He almost instantly assumed that it was just Cass spamming his phone again with stupid shit but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t check. He clicked on his messages and glanced through the many texts, most of them in caps lock.

Well, to sum it all up, Cass had finally found her soulmate. Sky grinned, texting back his congratulations.

Life was getting pretty interesting.


	7. Love Is A Losing Game

“So I have some interesting news for you...”

Chris glanced up from his task of making a couple of sandwiches for the two of them and glanced down at Sky with a curious look. “What?”

“Cass found her soulmate a few days ago,” Sky explained, laughing at the shocked expression that immediately spread across Chris’s face. “I would have told you about it sooner but I’ve been busy. The thought kinda slipped my mind.”

Chris moved to get some mayo out of the refrigerator, smiling all the while. “That’s amazing. Have you met him yet?”

Sky shook his head, leaning against the counter lazily. “I was going to get to that. Cass thought we should all go out on a double date this weekend. It’d be a good opportunity for us to see if this guy is good for Cass or not, and what better place to go than the cafe we went to for our first date?”

Chris scoffed. “I’m pretty sure he’s good for her, Sky. He  _ is _ her soulmate.” He turned around to gaze at Sky with a raised eyebrow, a playful expression on his face. “You’re not going to cause another scene like you did then, are you?”

“We’ll see,” Sky murmured with a smirk of his own. “It depends on what goes down while we're there. If another dumbass tries to come onto you, I can’t promise to play nice.”

Chris simply stared at him for a moment as if calculating something before leaning down and giving him a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. “Well, I hope you know I’m yours and only yours. It doesn’t matter if a million people tried to come onto me because you’re the only one I want.”

Sky felt his face warm slightly, dismissing the comment with a roll of his eyes. “I better be.”

The statement gave no evidence to how he was actually affected by the comment. He briefly thought about how that had to be one of the sweetest things someone has ever said to him, if not  _ the _ sweetest. He was somewhat comforted by the declaration, but at the end of the day, he knew they were just words. Anything could happen and Chris had already hinted a bit at a past that Sky honestly didn’t want to know about.

He already had enough trust issues. In his mind, he didn’t need to be given any more reasons to be cynical. 

“So you're in?” Sky asked, his tone hopeful.

“Of course I am. Besides, I haven’t seen Cass in a good while. It’d be good to get reacquainted.”

* * *

The plan was for Sky and Chris to drive over to Cass’s home where they would be picking the other couple up. It was decided that Chris would be driving, as he was the most comfortable with it.

Chris did just that once Saturday rolled around. He fixed himself up to look decent but made sure not to go overboard to the point of his attire no longer being casual. It was a relatively simple date, just friends going out to eat lunch together, so he saw no point in trying so hard. He dressed himself up in a simple button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and some navy blue jeans. 

He first stopped to pick up Sky. The two of them talked idly for a couple of minutes considering they still had plenty of time before they’d have to pick the others up. When the time finally reached one o’clock, the two headed to the car and drove over to Cass’s place.

Once they arrived after a ten minute drive, Sky exited the car with Chris at his side. He instantly noticed when they pulled up that there were no other cars parked outside besides Cassandra’s, so he could only assume Cass’s soulmate had walked. He supposed it made sense considering they had arranged to get a ride.

He rapped on the door vigorously. He was fully prepared to patiently wait, but he had to do no such thing. Cass answered just as Sky’s knuckles were about to hit the door a third time, practically yanking the door open in her haste. The blonde laughed when he heard Chris startle behind him. After all these years of knowing Cass, he was completely used to her antics.

He guessed it would take some time for Chris to get familiar with it as well.

“I’m so glad you guys came! It’s so great to see you again, Chris!” Cass beamed up at the pair, giving each of them a quick hug before beckoning for them to come in. 

Sky sat down on the sofa and Chris chose to stand about as they waited to go. Sky cast a quick glance around the room, more specifically towards the kitchen. He had mostly replaced everything that was broken or damaged in the incident, but being there still felt wrong. As much as he hated to admit it, he despised being in Cass’s home. It was of no comfort because it never felt  _ safe _ . For fear of hurting Cass’s feelings, he chose not to ever voice the thought to her.

After all, it couldn’t have been any easier for her to come back, herself.

“I don’t get a special greeting like Chris?” Sky asked almost playfully. 

Cass rolled her eyes. “You always know I’m glad to see you. But really, Chris you should call every now and then or visit. I promise it won’t be weird.”

Chris nodded, returning the brunette’s smile. “Alright, I’ll try. Is your soulmate here yet?”

Cass chuckled to herself, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. “Right… sorry about that. He’s in the bathroom right now, but he should be out any moment. Matter of fact, I’m gonna go get him. Be right back!” That said, Cass suddenly sprinted around the corner, disappearing from the men’s frame of eyesight.

Chris cast a confused look to Sky. “What was that about?”

Sky shrugged, frowning slightly. “Who knows? We should probably just let her do whatever the fuck she’s doing for now. Oh yeah, and don’t question it later.”

Chris hummed, now preoccupied with looking through Cass’s movie collection. He had looked through five so far, and as he went through them his lips began to twist into a frown, more out of confusion than anything.

“Why are all of these about zombies?”

Sky chuckled, moving next to Chris to snatch the movies out of his hand before putting them back in their rightful place. “Told you not to question anything. Basically, she’s obsessed with anything that has to do with the dead. Weird shit.”

“We’re back!”

Sky turned around instantaneously, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the tall male figure standing on the left of Cass. He had to admit that the man was not too bad in the looks department.

Chris’s mouth dropped open in surprise as he took in the far too familiar face. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen the man. It felt like centuries ago but at the same time, it felt like he’d seen him just yesterday. On the other side of the spectrum, the man stared at him as if he’d never seen Chris in his entire life. His expression was just as insanely bored as Chris had remembered.

Chris glanced down at his soulmate and rose an eyebrow in suspicion when Sky only continued to stare silently. He was probably ogling the other male, but Chris knew his place.

He put on a fake smile if only for the moment. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” the man nodded, the gesture more so pointed at Sky. “I’m Trevor.” 

Sky finally broke out of his momentary trance when he felt an elbow nudge his side. “Fuck...sorry. I’m Sky. It’s nice to meet you, as well.”

Trevor laughed at the swear, shaking his head in amusement. “I was beginning to wonder if your mind suddenly took a trip to another planet. What is it? Are the piercings too much?”

“They’re fine,” Sky muttered with a reassuring shake of his head. “It’s your face; who am I to judge?”

“Good,” Trevor crossed his arms across his chest with an uncharacteristic smile, “ because I don’t plan on taking them out anytime soon.”

“Fair enough,” Sky smirked, recognizing the playfulness in the other man’s tone. “Now, are you guys ready to go or not? I’m starving.”

Cass was grinning from ear to ear, laughing every now and then at the banter. She nodded as an answer to Sky’s inquiry. “Yup! Let me just get my phone.”

* * *

Once they got there, they settled in a booth towards the back as suggested by Sky. They all sat next to their soulmate, Chris sitting across from Trevor, and Sky sitting across from Cass. They looked through their menus as they waited for their server to arrive and held casual conversation in the meantime. When their waitress finally made it to their table, Sky couldn’t wipe the smirk of his face if he tried.

“Hello, I'm Bianca and I’ll be your server this evening. Are you re-” Her eyes widened as the dark orbs caught sight of Chris and then Sky. Her smile quickly turned upside down until she was scowling. “You guys… What are you doing here?”

Sky attempted to hide his smirk behind his hand and his other moved to push a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “That’s a stupid question. Last time I checked, you don’t own this cafe, do you?”

The waitress’s face flushed in irritation. “Egotistical prick.” Her gaze wandered to Cass and one of her eyebrows shot up in a mix of confusion and surprise. “You’re friends with this asshole?”

Cassandra’s initially confused expression quickly morphed into one filled with annoyance. She leaned forward, whispering loudly enough for the occupants of the table to hear but none of the strangers around them. “Yes, that  _ asshole _ is my friend. My best one at that. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but we’re not here to have a pissing contest. Just do your damn job for once and stop bitching.”

Bianca’s fist balled up at her side, standing there and silently seething until she stomped away angrily, but not without one last statement.

“Bitch…”

Cass only laughed before calling out, “I heard that and I’ll be sure to remember that on Monday!”

Trevor took a few moments to process the scene that had just occurred before asking, “you know her?”

“Yep,” Cass nodded. “She’s a fellow co-worker. My grandparents own this place so I’ve worked here practically my entire life. One day, they plan to pass it down to me.”

Trevor nodded absently before turning to aim his next question at Sky; still ignoring Chris’s existence to the best of his ability. “So why does she have beef with you?”

“Nothing too interesting,” Sky began to explain. “Me and Chris came here for our first date. To make a long story short, I called her out for being a bitch considering she was blatantly flirting with Chris despite the fact that it was clear we were soulmates by our wrists alone.”

Sky shook his head in amusement when Cass expressed her satisfaction by giving him a half-five across the table 

“In all honesty,  _ somebody  _ needed to say something,” Cassandra said. “She does that everyday to practically  _ every  _ customer. It’s basically what she’s known for at this point and trust me when I say you aren’t the only person she’s pissed off. Hell, she pisses  _ me  _ off almost everyday.”

“So…” Trevor trailed off, for the first time that evening directing his attention more so on Chris despite the fact that the question concerned both of them. “You guys are both gay?”

“Yeah,” Sky instantly nodded, his eyes calculating, “but I thought that was obvious considering we’re currently on a double date. That a problem?”

“Not at all. In all honesty, I’m glad to see you own it.” Trevor narrowed his eyes on Chris, waiting for his answer. “Well?”

“Well, I mean...” Chris glanced away towards the window and avoided eye contact with the ginger-haired male across from him. He never really thought about that aspect of their relationship and although he couldn’t put his finger on why, it was suddenly so difficult for him to admit. “Not really, but—”

“Not really?” Sky interrupted, trying to keep his face from twisting into something unpleasant. “Then what the hell are you?”

Chris ignored the question and instead, continued to stare out the window. 

Sky sighed, placing his head into his hands. It was frustrating, near  _ infuriating _ how much Chris could shut him out sometimes. He wanted to know what he was thinking, how he was feeling, but he was never spared those important details. He supposed the most prominent thing on his mind was the words that had just left his soulmate’s mouth. 

What did the raven mean by “not really”? He was well aware that Chris was more accustomed to dating females but some part of him acknowledged that that wasn’t quite what Chris had meant. 

He chose to drop the topic for the moment. It was more so because he didn’t want to be the one to ruin the double date, especially not Cass’s first. He would just have to ask him about it later.

He instead placed his attention on Trevor, his own expression for the most part blank. “Well, I suppose I should warn you now rather than later. If you do anything, and I mean  _ anything _ to hurt Cass, I’ll seriously have to hurt you. And if that’s the case, I hope you’re a fan of hospital food.”

Trevor cocked an eyebrow, laughing softly. “Those are some pretty bold words for someone as small as yourself.”

“Hey!” Cass exclaimed, giving a playful punch to her soulmate’s arm. “Us small people are powerful. Trust me, we could both drop your ass if we really wanted to.”

Trevor smirked. “I could believe it. You two seem like a good pair; plenty of spite when needed.”

“You’d better.”

The rest of the date went by smoothly, the group of them going from topic to topic. Chris pitched in every now and then but for the most part, he remained silent. More than a few times Sky had asked if something was wrong, quiet enough where the pair across of them couldn’t hear, but each and every time he got the same answer.

“I’m fine.”

By the time the date had come to an end, Sky had come to the conclusion that Trevor was a good person. Even then, he couldn’t quite decipher if he was a good match for Cass. He guessed he should take Chris’s word for it.

They’re soulmates, fated lovers, they  _ had _ to be a good match.

Chris, on the other hand, didn’t have much of an opinion on the man but the little perception he had wasn’t all that positive. Trevor wasn’t quite the same person he had once known, but that didn’t mean he’d gotten better. If anything, judging by that small amount of time spent together, Chris would argue he’d gotten worse. He couldn’t help the thought in the back of his mind that the personality Trevor had presented was more of an act than anything.

It may have seemed stupid, but the thought was there nonetheless.

Chris dropped Trevor and Cass off first, the both of them planning to stay at Cass’s. Next on his list was Sky. The whole ride there he was mostly silent except for the occasional phrase or two said when Sky tried to initiate a conversation. He knew he was being a bit standoffish but he just wasn’t in the best mood and he couldn’t bring himself to pretend as if he was. 

Chris pulled up next to Sky’s apartment complex and parked next to the curb. After saying his goodbyes he was completely prepared to drive away, but Sky ended up asking him to accompany him inside. His reasoning was something along the lines of “we need to talk” and as soon as the words left the blonde’s mouth, one thought plagued his mind.

Whatever his soulmate wanted, it couldn’t have been good.

As soon as he got his first foot inside the door, Sky hit him with the question he’d been dreading since it was asked the first time.

“What did you mean by that?”

“By what?” Chris decided to play stupid, if only to buy himself more time to think. The thing was, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a solid answer or reason.

“Don’t,” Sky warned, a frown on his face. “ You know exactly what I mean. I understand you’ve only have sex with women before me. I understand I’m the first male you’ve ever even  _ dated _ , but that isn’t what you meant, is it? What are you so  _ scared  _ of?”

He supposed  what Sky had said would have been the sensible answer on his part but even  _ that _ was still so difficult to admit. Originally Chris thought he could easily come out; that he wouldn’t care what anyone thought. But now, it was a different story. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know. It wasn’t as if Cassandra, Sky and even his goddamn  _ mother _ didn’t know.

He just couldn’t. 

Not at that moment, anyway.

Seeing Trevor again had ignited that doubt within him. It was like he was back in his sixteen-year-old body again making one terrible decision after the next with his just-as-reckless friend at his side. It was like he’d woken up from a distant dream into an entirely different life.

Everything just felt so  _ different _ .

“Well?” Sky asked, his frown deepening until it became a full on glare. “ Answer the fucking question! You act as if everyone doesn’t already know. I know, Cass knows, Trevor knows, so  where’s the embarrassment coming from? What? Do you think it’s  _ bad _ ?  _ Revolting _ ?”

“Okay, now you’re just putting words in my mouth,” Chris accused. “I just don’t know, okay? You just said it exactly how it is. I’ve never been with a male before you, I told you this. Never even showed interest in one. I just don’t know.”

Sky rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know. You’ve been a fuckboy long enough to know you like women but so fucking what?”

Chris’s eyes flashed in anger, his face flushing dark red. “Could you stop calling me that? You’re not such a fucking saint yourself.”

“You sure about that?” Sky mocked, staring Chris in the eyes. His smile completely contrasted his next words. “Unlike  _ you _ , I didn’t sleep around like a damn slutty prostitute most of my life.”

“You know absolute  _ shit  _ about my life so stop pretending like you know it all.” Chris turned around when he felt his eyes water up, his breath coming out a bit more ragged as he fought to control his ever increasing anger. “You of all people should get it, Skylar. You of all people should understand  _ exactly  _ what I’m feeling and it isn’t just because of the fact that you’re my soulmate. But whatever. I guess it’s nice to know what you really think of me. Better I know sooner than later, right? Goodnight, Skylar.”

That said, Sky watched as Chris made his way back to his car. Just like that, Sky’s anger dissipated and was replaced with slight remorse. Without the intoxicating anger blinding him, he was able to realize exactly what he’d just said and how wrong it was. Sky wanted to follow Chris but he knew it wouldn’t do any good.

Sky let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb

and index finger.

“I’m such an idiot.”


	8. The Rose's Thorns

The next day after the near disastrous date passed relatively quickly for Sky. Throughout the day, though, he became easily distracted by the most simplistic of things. His thoughts always seemed to trail to one specific person with messy black hair that he  _ still  _ hadn’t apologized to. He considered calling to do just that but decided it was best to give Chris some time.

Sooner or later he’d call, right?

Some time after he got back from work he received a text from Cassandra.

[Cass] Hey, love! Thanks for coming to the double date with me and Trevor. He says you’re a cool guy. Do you think you guys could come to the movies with us next weekend?

Sky sighed. If only she knew… Maybe it would be a good idea if he hadn’t pissed Chris off but as it stood, that wasn’t quite the case. While he didn’t want to let Cass down, he didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. Maybe he could change his answer if he was able to make up with his soulmate by the time the weekend arrived. He had four more days and he was sure Chris couldn’t stay mad for  _ that _ long. 

Not at him, anyway. 

[Sky] Sorry, but I have some important things to do. Maybe another time.

He felt bad for lying, but it wasn’t as if he was going to tell her what  _ actually _ happened. He’d never been one to relay his own problems onto someone else.

[Cass] Well, that sucks. It’s fine, though. Can’t expect you to always be available. I can always reschedule…?

[Sky] Hell no. Don’t reschedule for us. Just go on the date with your soulmate without us.

[Cass] Ugh… but it might be awkward.

[Sky] So what if it is? You’ll have to get used to it sometime. I’ve gotta go, though.

[Cass] Fine. Ttyl.

Sky set his phone down with a sigh and grabbed a few towels as he prepared to shower. 

He had a feeling this was going to be a long week.

* * *

“Hey… are you okay?”

Sky turned to his younger coworker, nodding once a little absently. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Morgan’s eyebrows lowered, staring at him intently. “I don’t know. You just seem a little out of it. You keep zoning out.”

“I’m just thinking,” Sky answered absently.

“Thinking about what?”

“Why would it matter to you?” Sky asked with a roll of his eyes. He stood to make his way to the break room when he got a glance at the time. Time sure did fly fast when his mind was practically in another world.

“Skylar!” he heard Morgan call after him. “You sure you don’t want to talk about whatever’s going through your mind? Everyone at my school can agree I offer killer advice!”

Sky frowned and chose to ignore Morgan. He was fine; just tired. And annoyed. And slightly guilty.  _ And _ missing a certain someone who still had yet to attempt any form of communication with him.

Pushing all of that to the back of his mind, he reasoned that once he got home and got some sleep, he would feel better. 

* * *

Sky wasn’t usually one to drink, but  _ God _ did he feel like he needed it at that moment. He grabbed a glass and watched as the pale, golden blonde liquid poured steadily from the bottle and into the glass creating a crackling, fizzing sound that was more satisfying than Sky wanted to admit. He set the bottle down, not bothering to screw the cap on. His attention went back to the glass filled with the pale yellow liquid.

At first he just sat there, staring, until he finally picked up the glass and took a sip. He sighed at the underlying sweetness before chugging the rest of it down. While he wasn’t the biggest fan of wine, at that moment it felt like it was his best friend.

This continued for nearly two hours. Sky had lost count of how many glasses of wine he had downed, but at the time he honestly couldn’t bring himself to care. He felt like he was in  _ heaven _ .

He reached for his phone, dialing Cass’s number instead of bothering to go to his contacts to look for the number. He waited for a few seconds before a tired voice sounded on the other line.

“What? It’s late at night and I’m tired so this better be important, Sky.”

Sky put the phone on speaker and then dropped his phone on the table, his head clunking against the table a moment later. “Can you come over?” The words were slurred, but he knew Cass got the message.

There was silence for what felt like hours to Sky before he received a reply. “Geez… Sky, are you drunk?”

Sky laughed, his cheeks flushing a light pink. “Um… I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

Cass sighed. “Oh my gosh… I’ll be there in a few.”

Sky was nodding off by the time he heard a knock at the door. He yelled for Cass to come in, turning to her with a frown once she did. “What happened to a few minutes? You took like…  _ forever  _ to get here.”

Cass shrugged, throwing a bag on the floor and removing her shoes. “It’s only been ten minutes. I had to get dressed ya know. Not many people get woken up by their drunk friend who then demands for them to come over.”

“I didn’t  _ demand _ ,” Sky slurred, “I asked.”

She rolled her eyes. “Same difference. So what happened?” She trudged lazily over to the table where he sat, analyzing the situation. Her eyes caught sight of the near empty bottom rolled over to the right of him and her eyes widened. “Shit. How much of this stuff did you drink? Do you want to get alcohol poisoning?!”

Sky rolled his eyes, laughing at his friend’s panic. “Calm down. I didn’t drink all of that today and even if I  _ did _ , I doubt that’d be enough.”

“This shit isn’t funny!” Cass ran to hastily fetch a water bottle from the kitchen before returning with a grim look on her face. “Drink all of it. Now.”

Sky stared at the plastic bottle, not making any move to grab it. He glanced back up at Cass with narrowed eyes. “You’re so over dramatic sometimes.”

“Oh my fucking god…” Cass ran a hand through her hair, pacing back and forth until she stopped directly in front of Sky. If Sky had been in his right mind, he probably would have ran from Cass due to the scary look she was giving him.“Sky, you little shit, look into my eyes and see if I’m kidding around. Drink it!”

“Goddamn,” Sky sighed and reached out to take the offered water, anyway.

Sky had almost finished half of the bottle when his eyes suddenly widened. He dropped the bottle and sprinted out of the room, the water spilling in his haste. He practically shoved the bathroom door open, his ears catching the sound of it banging against the wall with the force.

Cass arrived just in time to see Sky heaved over the toilet, his eyes watering up slightly. She moved to sit behind him, rubbing his back slowly to provide what little comfort she could.

 “I’d never been so relieved you gave me a call,” She whispered, mostly to herself. “You literally  _ never  _ drink, Sky, so what type of bullshit convinced you it was the right call  _ now _ of all times?”

As she waited for Sky’s gagging to calm down she came to a realization. 

Where was Chris?

Of course the two of them were best friends, but she would think he’d call his soulmate if he was ever in a bad situation. There was the possibility Sky didn’t want Chris to see him that way… or maybe he just wanted Cass’s company in particular, but she had a feeling that wasn’t the case.

She waited patiently to voice her concerns. Once Sky leaned back, grabbing a tissue to wipe his mouth off, she did just that. “What happened with you and Chris? Is this why you declined my invitation to go to the movies this weekend?”

Sky sighed, the corners of his lips turning down. “Why are you asking?”

Well,  _ that _ confirmed her suspicions. “Don’t beat around the bush, Sky. I know you like the back of my hand. I know something's wrong.” She waited for Sky to turn and look at her, and once he did, she instantly noticed how dull his eyes had gotten so suddenly. “He’s the reason you’re drinking, right? Stress?”

Sky looked away again. “ _ I’m _ the reason I’m drinking. Chris didn’t do anything, it was all me. It really isn’t that big of a deal so don’t worry about it.”

Cass nodded in understanding. “But what happened?”

“Don’t want to talk about it.”

“I just want to—”

Sky turned to her once again, his frown deepening in frustration. “Not now. I’ll tell you later.”

“Fine.” She stood up, offering her companion a hand which he gladly took. “You should get some sleep.” 

She lead the blonde to his bed, not bothering to help him undress as it didn’t seem like he even wanted to. When he asked her to stay, she laid down beside him, her head on his chest. The sound of his steady heartbeat was comfort to her ears because it meant he was okay even if not emotionally. 

“I’m sorry for calling you over here,” Sky whispered just as he was nodding off to sleep. “Didn’t mean to bother you.”

Cass smiled. “You know I'd do anything for you, idiot. Now get some sleep.”

* * *

The next day Sky woke with a throbbing hangover that he was sure would have been a thousand times worse if Cassandra hadn’t convinced him to drink some water the night before. Speaking of water, he found a glass of it on his nightstand which he gladly drank to soothe his surprisingly dry throat. Directly next to the glass, he noticed a messily scribbled note.

_ “Went to work. Make sure to call me if you need anything.” _

Sky set the note down, plopping back down on his bed with a groan. He ended up calling in sick to work that day, sounding rather convincing due to his terrible condition.

With nothing better to do, he finally decided to attempt to reach Chris. He sent his soulmate a brief message.

[Sky] Call me. We need to talk.

He waited for hours, checking his phone left and right but he didn’t receive a reply. He was frustrated, but he would wait for however long it took.

* * *

A number of days passed and there was still no contact between the two soulmates. Sky was fidgety, practically ready to pull out his own hair at that point.

“Eight days…” Sky whispered to himself as he lay awake, staring at the off-white ceiling above him. “Eight fucking days and still no answer.”

And he thought  _ he  _ was terrible when it came to holding grudges.

He had tried multiple times to speak with Chris; texting and calling frantically almost everyday. 

Still no answer.

He decided his best bet was visiting his soulmate. Sometime after he finished work that day, he walked to Chris’s apartment. Once he got there, he stood at the front door for a few minutes and stared as if the door was going to open itself. He knocked a few times. 

He waited.

No answer.

Sky sat just outside the door; his head in his hands. 

If Chris wanted to be stubborn, then Sky reasoned he’d just have to wait there.

Chris would have to come out sometime... 

* * *

Sky jumped when he felt something nudge him. He glanced around in slight panic, wondering where he was and how he’d gotten there when his eyes caught sight of the being hovering above him.

His eyes widened. “Chris?”

Chris was frowning, but it looked to be more out of worry than anything. “Why were you sleeping out here?”

Sky stood, staring into elegant dark brown eyes. Eyes he had missed so much. He reached out a hand to touch Chris’s face, but Chris stopped him. 

“Answer me,” he urged, his gaze focused on the ground.

Sky finally broke.

He felt the tears run down his face before he could even register what was happening. All of his emotions… His anger, sadness, frustration, worry… he kept it bottled up, and now it was finally being set free.

And it overflowed. 

“I was fucking worried about you, Chris!” he shouted. “You can’t do that. You can’t just fucking ignore me when you’re upset! I  know, I fucked up and I’m sorry, but I didn’t mean it. I just…” He trailed off and let out a frustrated groan as he attempted to wipe the tears from his face. “I’m sorry.”

Chris stood there silently, his eyes still refusing to meet Sky’s. “You know those words hurt, right? I don’t expect you to understand how much, but I need you to know they hurt, a lot.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Chris.” Sky began pulling strands from his ponytail. “All I can do is apologize. I’ve been wanting to do so for the last eight days but you’ve been too busy ignoring me. ” 

“Eight days… You’ve been counting?”

“ _ Chris _ —”

“Don’t worry,” Chris interrupted even though he still refused to meet his eyes. “I’ve been counting, too.”

Not sure what else to say, Sky decided to convey his emotions through his actions. He took a step forward until he was directly in front of Chris and reached out, his hand cupping the side of Chris’s face gently.

“Sky—”

Chris was cut off when Sky practically crushed his lips against his. His eyes widened in surprise, but he let Sky have his fun. He felt like shit for making Sky cry, but he also felt honored and satisfied. He honestly expected Sky to not try to communicate at all until Chris made the first move as the raven always tended to do.

This time, Chris refused to be the first to come crawling in search of attention.

The fact Sky cared that much made his heart flutter. Chris hesitantly wrapped his arms around Sky’s mid section to pull him closer until the blonde’s chest was flush against his own. Chris coaxed Sky into a slower and gentler rhythm until their lips were moving together almost lazily. Sky’s tears had finally stopped flowing, the smaller male humming into the kiss.

Chris’s hand rested on the small of Sky’s back, pulling Sky’s bottom lip in between his teeth gently before separating with a small smack. He rested his forehead against Sky’s, opening his eyes to stare into beautiful hazel orbs. 

“Alright. Let’s talk.”

* * *

They sat down next to each other on Chris’s sofa, Sky’s head resting on his shoulder. His eyes were closed and his breaths now steady. Chris threw an arm around him, speaking in a quiet tone.

“I’m sorry for not answering your calls. I just needed to think.”

“For how long?” Sky asked, a hint of bitterness in his tone. “It’s been over a week.”

Chris shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I was scared.”

“I’m sorry,” Chris whispered, his thumb rubbing patterns into Sky’s arm. “You know I care about you. I wouldn’t have ignored you for the rest of your life.”

“You know,  _ before _ I wouldn’t have doubted you, but now...”

Chris ignored the comment and instead chose to attempt to sort through his thoughts. He decided to ask the question that had been on his mind for the past week. “What do you honestly think of me?”

Sky’s eyes opened, but only slightly. He sighed, the sound coming out a bit shaky. “You mean the world to me… I told you, those things I said, I didn’t mean them. I was just pissed and I wasn’t thinking.”

Chris smiled lovingly at the words. He trusted Sky, so he chose to believe Sky wasn’t lying. “Good to know.”

Sky gave a humorless huff of laughter. “I just learned I’m not so good at this relationship thing.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “You’re fine and you’ll get better.”

Sky looked up at him with hopeful eyes. “You forgive me?”

“Well, I’m not gonna say I’m not still slightly annoyed at what you said, but I mostly forgive you as long as you forgive me.” When Sky’s only response was to give an annoyed groan, Chris laughed. “You should just be happy I’m not one to hold grudges. I forgive easily.”

Sky scoffed. “You consider  _ that  _ easily?”

“Sky,” Chris waited until Sky looked up at him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Sky smiled, somewhat hesitant. “I’m glad to be here with you.” He looked away again, now staring down at his lap. “Now I have a question for you.”

“Mhm?”

“Why are you hesitant to admit to being bisexual?”

Chris paused at the inquiry, not for the first time that week thinking over his answer in his head. It was a simple enough question, but the answer came with difficulty. “It’s not as easy coming out as I thought it’d be. Of course everyone already basically knows, but I’ve never really thought of myself as being gay. I’m not ashamed by it and in no way do I think it’s a bad thing, it’s just difficult and  _ different _ . I always thought of us as soulmates, not a gay couple.” The raven haired male sighed. “You have to understand that I’ve went through my  _ entire life  _ thinking I was heterosexual until I met you. Obviously, I’m bisexual. I don’t even know why that asshole asked. It wasn’t as if the answer to his question wasn’t sitting directly in front of him.”

Sky cocked an eyebrow at Chris. “You don’t like Trevor?”

Chris shrugged. “I never said that, but while we’re on the topic, what do  _ you _ think of Trevor?”

“He’s okay.”

Chris’s brows furrowed at the confident answer, his lips turning down in a frown that went unnoticed by Sky. “Think he’s attractive?”

To the dismay of Chris, Sky laughed at the question. He buried his face into Chris chest as he attempted to calm down. His huffs of laughter left a warm trail on the taller male’s collar bone. When his laughter finally began to die down, his looked up to Chris with a smirk as he finally replied.

“Are you jealous?”

Chris scoffed. “Of course not. I was just wondering.”

“Well, he’s certainly not bad looking,” Sky whispered almost teasingly. “If I may ask, where’d the sudden question come from?”

Chris looked away from the blonde’s hazel eyes, his cheeks flushing a light pink. “Couldn’t help but notice the way you stared at him when you first met him.”

Sky’s mouth shaped itself into a ‘O’ of realization, Sky now blushing just as bad as Chris if not worse. “Oh… I was just surprised.”

“You sure?”

Sky groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Can we stop talking about this please? I had a brief moment of admiration, that’s it. You already know I’m yours.”

God, did that sentence sound wonderful falling off of Sky’s lips.

Chris grabbed Sky’s wrist in his hands, removing his hands from his face. He leaned in only to connect their lips in a kiss, his fingers tangling in blonde locks. After a moment, he pulled away.

Chris smiled and pressed a kiss to Sky’s glowing wrists. “And I’m yours.”


	9. Kill 'Em With Kindness

Chris felt warm. Way warmer than usual upon waking up. There was also the weight distributed on his chest, comforting and not all too heavy all the same. He blinked his eyes open slowly, glancing around his room before his eyes set themselves upon the form in his arms. A smile spread across his lips. 

Sky was sound asleep, his facial features completely relaxed and his breaths even and slow. He looked peaceful, beautiful in Chris’s eyes. His soulmate lay half-way on his chest, his head directly below Chris’s chin, and his legs were tangled with the raven-haired male’s. Chris couldn’t quite recall how they had gotten to that point but they were both still in their everyday dress so he assumed they might have passed out at some point. 

Chris ran a gentle hand over the side of his soulmate’s face, examining every little feature and detail and dedicating them to memory. He ran curious fingers through golden locks, sighing at how pleasantly silky his hair was. 

He jumped slightly in surprise when a quiet groan sounded from Sky, his gaze wandering to a pair of hazel eyes. Sky only starred, looking just as confused as Chris was when he first woke. One corner of the blonde’s lips turned up when Chris leaned down to kiss his forehead.

He felt like he’d never understand his attraction to Sky. One day he practically hates everyone and the next, he essentially relies on someone for happiness. It was like nothing else mattered except Sky. He had no complaints, though. He would do anything for Sky. All his soulmate would have to do is ask. 

“Good morning,” Sky mumbled, letting his eyes slip shut once again. “How long have you been awake?”

“Only for a few minutes.” Chris glanced over to his nightstand to see what time it was, a sudden panic shooting through him. He only had a few minutes left until he’d have to leave for work. He had no clue how he’d slept through the alarm or why it didn’t go off, but he certainly knew he didn’t want to get fired.

Sky’s features twisted in confusion at Chris’s sudden alarm. “What’s wrong?” 

“I’m going to be late for work,” Chris explained. “Can you get up?” He attempted to move, but Sky only tightened his grip around his soulmate. 

“Stay with me.”

Chris stared at his soulmate silently. There was definitely something wrong with Sky but for the moment he decided not to look so deeply into that. “I can’t just  _ not _ show up. I need the money and I’m definitely not in favor of getting fired today.”

Sky shrugged nonchalantly, for the most part not seeming too bothered. “Call in sick.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little late for that? It’d be completely last minute by now and you’re wasting valuable time, Sky.”Chris nudged Sky insistently, Sky finally complying after a moment and scooting to the other side. “Don’t you have to get to work yourself?” 

By now, Chris was completely aware of Sky’s work schedule and he knew it was well past the time Sky should have been at work. Since he got off work earlier than Chris, it also meant he went to work earlier. And even considering all of that, his soulmate still didn’t seem to be in any kind of rush.

“I called in sick both yesterday and today.”

“Why?”

Sky’s eyes narrowed, his stare accusing. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you anytime soon. It was starting to get to me and I couldn’t fucking concentrate so I called in sick. God knows I don’t need any clients pissed at me because I’ve masterfully ruined their hair and made them the laughing stock of the world.”

Chris winced at his soulmate’s less than pleased tone. “I already apologized for my part in everything.”

“You can call in sick and stay with me,” Sky recommended with a stare that made Chris feel completely helpless and out of control of himself. That might be what influenced his next words.

“Fine,” he complied in defeat, “but only because I feel somewhat bad.”

“What do you mean somewhat?”

Chris shrugged, looking away from his soulmate’s piercing eyes. “You  _ did _ deserve it.”

“Mm… whatever.”

Chris grabbed his phone off of the charger to make the call. He knew the consequences, but for now he didn’t care. He mustered his best sick voice when his employer picked up the phone. Thankfully, he was mostly cool about it, telling him to get well and that was that. Chris promised to be at work the next day and said his thanks before hanging up. 

He turned to glance at Sky who still lay behind him, an amusement smirk on his face. The blonde practically demanded for Chris to return to his side and lay beside him, and once he moved to adhere to the command, Sky tugged him down into his embrace. His hold was tight, leaving no room for him to decline. 

They lay that way together for a while. Sky’s hold was comforting and warm, something Chris wouldn’t mind waking up to every morning. Of course, that was only wishful thinking. But even as he convinced himself that he was probably thinking too far ahead in the future, he knew someday that’d be the case. 

They were  _ soulmates _ . It wasn’t as if either of them would find someone better to be with because at the end of the day, they would always be the best match because of their natural bond. That was just the way it worked. Once you have met your soulmate, it was never easy to just split apart. From then on, all there was to do was to commit to the relationship. In a way, it was set in stone, something you couldn’t just back out of. 

He was broken out of his thoughts, however, when he felt Sky mouthing at his neck. Gently, but insistently as if begging for attention. Chris let his eyes close, humming at the affection. 

“Sky…”

“Mm,” Sky hummed, pressing a soft kiss to Chris’s jawline. He placed another one on his cheek and then his lips finally connected with Chris’s. 

The kiss was tender, something you’d expect lifetime long lovers to indulge in. Chris cupped the sides of Sky’s face to pull him closer when the sound of his ringtone went off. He pulled away, Sky leaning in to chase his lips but Chris only shook his head.

“I have to get this.”

Sky stared silently, probably thinking something through in his head. That thought was confirmed to be true once Sky nodded and looked away, the flush on his cheeks almost managing to go unnoticed by Chris. The taller male only smiled before standing to recover his phone. He read the caller ID and he swore the room had suddenly gotten a whole lot warmer.

It was his dad, and he could only guess what he could be calling for. Of course, he could be calling about his soulmate, but it’d been forever since he had called his mom to inform her about it, so why would he be calling  _ now _ of all times? He answered quickly if only because he didn’t want the call to go to voicemail.

“Hello?” Chris cursed himself when his voice came out shaky, rewording the greeting a moment later in as steady a tone as he could manage.

“You’re gay, Chris?”

Well shit, so much for greetings. He got straight to the point, and he didn’t sound happy. Nowhere near thrilled. Chris turned to Sky, whispering he’d be right back before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. He walked to his dining room table to take a seat and took a deep breath before speaking. 

He knew this was going to be a long conversation. 

“Yes, my soulmate is male,” Chris clarified, waiting for a reply with anticipation.

His father’s voice practically boomed on the other line. “I didn’t raise a faggot. I don’t know what’s going on with you or if you’re just plain confused, but you have so many  _ options _ , Chris. Hell, you could even go back to one of your past girlfriends, but you are  _ not _ staying with whoever your soulmate is.”

Chris’s face twisted in a glare even though he had nothing to direct it at. He spoke his next words in a whisper-yell, making sure Sky wouldn’t be able to catch a whiff of their conversation. “Dad, he’s my  _ soulmate _ . He isn’t just some guy I found on the street. I can’t just leave him.”

“Yes you can, and you  _ will _ . It’s sinful—”

“Don't even start with that sinful bullshit. I can’t name a time you even stepped foot in a church. I am a grown man. You don’t control me anymore and I’m not here to please you.”

“Watch how you speak to me, Chris. I’m still your father no matter if you live countries away!” His father shouted on the other line, before giving a rather obnoxious sigh. “Look… I don’t approve of this at all. This is wrong, and I’m sure a part of you knows it.”

“Nothing about this is wrong. It’s completely normal and if you can’t see that then you need to get your brain checked.” Chris could briefly register that he was talking to his dad somewhere in the back of his mind, but at that moment the man on the other line seemed like a complete stranger. “I care about him more than I do for myself. He’s a great person and if you took the time to actually meet him and judge him on his character rather than his gender, you’d be able to see that.”

There was complete silence for what felt like minutes on end before his father spoke again. “Fine. Then let me talk to him. You’re with him, right?”

Chris’s eyes widened, the brown orbs moving onto the door that Sky lay on the other side of. He thought about lying but, at the end of the day, that wouldn’t do any good. Besides, the decision was his to make. 

“No.”

“Excuse me? You’re the one who said I should get to know him and that’s all I’m trying to do, Christopher.”

Chris scoffed, running a hand through his already mussed hair. “I’d like to hear your definition of getting to know someone. Does it involve interrogation and throwing around more pointless gay slurs?”

“Chris—”

“No. I’m not talking about this with you anymore. You sound completely ignorant and I rather that not rub off on me.” Chris sighed, pulling the phone from his ear. His finger hovered over the end call button. Chris murmured one more thing before hanging up. “Call me again when you’re ready to talk to me and not  _ at  _ me.”

He threw his phone on the table and put his head in his hands only to glance back up when his phone went off again. First, he received a phone call from his dad and then when he didn’t answer, a dozen texts. For the moment, he couldn’t be bothered to check what the texts said.

“People are such assholes sometimes,” he muttered to himself under his breath.

* * *

Sky sat up when he heard the door open, Chris appearing in the doorway. He finally decided to actually get up if only to move towards his soulmate. He couldn’t explain why he felt so clingy and honestly, it annoyed even him, but he’d be damned if he was going to let Chris go again.

He refused.

He couldn’t stand the feeling of relying so heavily on another person. He fucking hated it, but it wasn’t like there was anything he could do about it. He was never one to complain about the things he couldn’t change, anyway.

“Who called you so early in the morning?” Sky asked, caressing the sides of his soulmate’s neck with gentle fingers.

“Don’t worry about it…”

Before Sky could speak up again, he was suddenly pulled into an aggressive kiss. It was new and he wasn’t sure if he necessarily liked the feeling, but he wasn’t going to pull away. Chris seemed irked, so Sky could only guess the conversation he’d just had couldn’t have been pleasant. 

He’d make sure to ask him about it later.

* * *

Cass stood in front of the mirror, her ginger-haired soulmate behind her. She grabbed a hair tie and pulled her hair up into a quick ponytail, turning around to smile at Trevor once she finished. 

“Thanks for playing nice. Ya know… on the double date.”  
Trevor shrugged, placing two hands on either side of her waist. “Of course. Are you about ready to go yet?”

“Sure.” She raised an eyebrow at him, her expression appearing dubious. “I have a question for you, though. What do you think of Chris? Like, in all honesty.”

Trevor rolled his eyes with an amused scoff. “I think he’s an asshole. You’re friend is cool, though. I like him.”

“His name is Sky and what do you mean? Chris didn’t do anything rude. For the most part, he was surprisingly quiet. I think he’s cool and he’s  _ also _ my friend so watch it. That’s my bestie’s boyfriend you’re talking about.”

Trevor shrugged again. “Ok, whatever you say. I don’t understand how you’re so infatuated with him, though.  _ You _ barely know him.”

“I know him more than I know you right now and I say he’s a good guy so drop it.” Cass smiled although her previous tone didn’t suggest she was all that pleased. “Let’s go, and you’re paying for the popcorn. A large, too.”

Trevor forced the frown off of his face with difficulty, replacing it a moment later with a small smile. “Anything for you, Cass.”

* * *

The next weekend they ended up getting invited to go on another double date at the lake with Cass and Trevor. Sky ended up having a long conversation with Cass about how Chris and him had made up, and she almost instantly seized the opportunity. Her one and only instruction for the two men was to prepare a picnic, which is why they now stood in the grocery store together.

Chris mostly grabbed the obvious food items like bread, cheese, and meat to make lunch sandwiches while Sky suggested other small things like fruit and snacks.  They had gotta more than enough questioning looks because, even though they weren’t making out or doing any of the obvious things a couple would do, it was crystal clear that they were more than friends. Chris ignored the looks for a number of reasons. 

One, it didn’t seem like most of them were doing it out of blatant disrespect. Two, a good majority of them were only children who didn’t know any better. And three, he was not about to cause any sort of attention grabbing scene in public. He turned to Sky to see if he had noticed, himself.

If he had, he definitely wasn’t making it evident. He didn’t look bothered for the most part and he kept to himself. There were a few times an annoyed look crossed his face but besides that, he ignored it as well.

They drove back home to set up the picnic, packing enough for everyone to have two of everything if they wanted. Once finished with that task, they walked together to the lake. The lake was nearby and since they were only supposed to meet up with the other couple, they decided it wouldn’t hurt to go early. 

“You did want to come, right?” Sky asked out of the blue. “You don’t ever have to agree to something if you don’t want to do it. I could tell Cass no and she wouldn’t mind.”

Chris smiled, switching the basket that held the food to his other hand so he could grab Sky’s hand with his left. “Of course. I’m always happy to spend time with you.”

“You sure weren’t a week ago.”

Chris couldn’t have stopped the laughter that bubbled from his throat if he tried. It was all too amusing how bitter Sky could become at the click of a button. “Geez, I said sorry for the one thousandth time. Get over it.”

Sky glanced away and shrugged. “In time.”

It was a five minute walk to the lake and once they arrived, they sat the basket down on the grass some distance away from the water. They took a seat next to it, the two of them sitting cross legged side by side. 

“What time is it?”

Chris pulled his phone out of his pocket to check. “A little bit past one o'clock. They should be here in about twenty minutes. What happened to your phone?”

“I think I forgot it at your place.” Sky shifted away from Chris when he made an attempt to put an arm around him. He smirked at the hurt expression that crossed the other male’s features. “No offense. It’s just way too hot for that shit.”

Chris suddenly stood, grabbing his soulmate’s hand and urging him to stand as well. He walked over to stand directly at the edge of the lake, taking a few steps forward until his feet and a bit of his ankles were submerged into the water, Sky following closely behind him. 

“I can think of a way for us to cool down,” Chris declared as he pulled his shirt above his head and threw it back to lay on the grass to prevent it from getting wet.

Sky looked Chris up and down with appreciation, not bothering to hide the fact that he was checking Chris out. Chris was built with lean muscle and broad shoulders that Sky easily found himself admiring. He possessed the figure of someone who worked out regularly but didn’t necessarily indulge in power workouts or anything too draining.

Chris smirked as Sky’s eyes none to subtly roamed over his body. “Like what you see?”

“Mhm…” Sky nodded but you could easily tell his mind was somewhere else. 

Chris shook his head with a huff of laughter, turning around to wade his way through the water until it was deep enough to come up to his mid thighs. “Come here.”

Sky was going to deny the request but changed his mind last second. What the hell did he have to lose? 

He moved through the clear water to stand in front of Chris, throwing his arms around his neck for better support. Chris stared down at his shorter companion with a fond smile. Sky felt fingers running through his hair before catching at his hair tie and effectively pulling it out, his hair spreading out along his back. Sky was just about to complain when Chris spoke.

“Your eyes are beautiful,” he whispered, a gentle hand resting under Sky’s chin to tilt his head up so he was staring into his eyes. “So are you lips, your nose, your hair… Everything about you. You’re beautiful.”

Sky felt his face beginning to warm, his eyes trailing down to Chris’s lips for a split second and then they were kissing. Their lips moved together passionately, the distance between them getting shorter and shorter until they were flush together. Sky was aware of the hand running down his back, gasping softly when they came to rest on his hips, tugging him closer with a quick and simple motion. 

Sky swore every day he spent with Chris, he only fell for him deeper. He welcomed the feeling, sure that one day he’d probably be completely reliant on his soulmate, but in that moment it didn’t matter. He chose to focus on the feeling of soft lips against his own, the sound of soft breathing getting rougher as time passed, and last but not least, the distracting feeling of his crotch pressed against the other male’s. Their actions were brought to a halt when they heard a teasing voice calling to them a small distance away.

“You really shouldn’t be messing around in public. Think of the children!”

Sky pulled away with some hesitation, catching sight of Cass walking down the small hill with her soulmate by her side. She held a baby blue blanket in her hand, her other hand waving at the other couple with a knowing smirk. “Hey lovebirds!”

“Hey,” Sky called back, somewhat disappointed they had shown up so soon.

Chris took Sky’s hand, wading through the water with Sky at his side. Once they stood in the grass again, Sky shook his hair out and Chris grabbed his shirt. The were both wringing out their clothing to remove any excess water when Sky turned to Chris expectantly. “Where’s my hair tie?”

Chris laughed sheepishly, glancing back at the lake behind them. “I may have dropped it in the water.”

Sky’s eyes narrowed. “Are you serious?”

“I’m sorry! You look good with your hair down, anyway.”

“But it’s fucking annoying! I tie it up for a reason.”

Chris was about to make a remark when Cass cut him off. “Hate to interrupt your bitching, Sky, but we should probably set this thing up.”

Chris smiled down at the brunette who’d come to his rescue. “Hey, Cassandra.”

“What do you mean “ _ set it up _ ”? You lay a blanket on the ground and you eat; it isn’t that hard,” Sky pointed out. He proceeded to do as she said despite the comment, though. “Are you guys coming to help, or…?”

They all assisted each other in setting up the picnic even though Cass was less than helpful. She laid the blanket out as Sky said, and then proceeded to sit and watch as the men put everything else together. Sky noticed the way Chris and Trevor looked at one another. It was a look that said the two of them didn’t necessarily hate each other, but they didn’t like each other, either. It was confusing to him considering the two had barely even spoken to one another but to say Sky found it amusing was an understatement.

Once finished, they all settled down on the blanket. Sky leaned against Chris, mostly occupied with Chris’s phone which his soulmate had given him after some convincing. As much as Sky wanted to look through his phone, he didn’t. He chose to play some of the games the other male had installed, instead. Although he was curious, he trusted Chris completely. He listened to the conversation flowing around, glancing up when he felt Cass nudge him with her foot.

“What?”

Cass leaned over to snatch the phone from his hands, glanced at the screen to see what he was doing, and handed it back to Chris. “Don’t give this back to him. This is supposed to be bonding time!”

Sky rolled his eyes. “You’re not his mom.” When Cass shot him a glare, he rolled his eyes again while a smirk pulled at his lips. “Fine, what do you want to talk about?”

“What happened with you and Chris before?”

Sky groaned. “Are you serious right now? I told you I would tell you, but definitely not right now.”

“Wait, what are we talking about?” Trevor asked, finally speaking up for the first time that evening. “If you don’t mind, I’m curious, too.”

Chris smiled but the expression didn’t quite meet his eyes. “You sure are nosy…”

Trevor’s gaze turned to Chris. At first, he only stared, not making any move to say anything and effectively making Chris uncomfortable. “I don’t need to know anything to know it was most likely your fault.”

Sky was about to step in to defend his boyfriend but decided against it. Chris could handle himself, and it was just getting interesting… 

On the flip side, Cass looked decidedly uncomfortable as soon as the words left her soulmate’s mouth, her eyes widening as her gaze moved to Chris in anticipation for his next words.

“Someone sounds bitter. What’s up with this double personality, anyway? I’m starting to question if you’re the same guy from before,” Chris murmured, staring at Trevor with a skeptical look and watching as teal eyes narrowed as he caught onto the double meaning behind Chris’s statement.

Sky muffled his laughter with his hand, finding both the situation and the absolutely mortified look on his best friend’s face hilarious. “You guys are both immature as hell.”

“Well, you should tell your boyfriend to stop being such a fucking jackass.”

Chris gave a humorless laugh at that. “I was only joking, not that I would expect someone like  _ you  _ to get that. You should learn to lighten up a bit.”

“Maybe I just know my life is more than some fucking game.” Trevor’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe  _ you  _ should learn to take life a bit more seriously while you still can. What? You still busy being an attention whore so you can get your parents to just  _ glance  _ at you?”

Chris’s breath caught a bit at the comment but he refused to show just how much it bothered him. Instead, he decided to go for an equally low blow. “How’s your little sister’s drinking problem?  _ You _ still busy being the heartless older brother that could give less of a damn if she croaked tomorrow?”

Trevor suddenly shot up in a blur of motion to launch himself at Chris with searing teal eyes and harsh breaths. Chris barely managed to avoid the fist pointed in his direction and quickly stood to get out of close proximity with the other male. He also managed to avoid Trevor’s follow up swing because he was familiar with it all. The fighting, the heated glares, the arguments and words that always seemed to cut too deep.

“You don’t get to talk about her,” Trevor hissed, his pupils blown wide in a way he’d never seen before. “You don’t get to even  _ mention  _ her. She’s none of your concern.”

Before Chris can even bother to reply, Cass promptly stood and pulled her soulmate back, still in shock at the sudden turn of events. “Trevor, what the fuck? This is supposed to be a date, not a fucking show down!” She turned to stare at Sky when it became apparent the blonde was holding back laughter. “What’s so funny?”

Sky cleared his throat and managed to calm down enough to voice his next words. “So much for  _ bonding _ .”

* * *

Cass managed to calm down Trevor enough for him to take his seat on the cloth once more, Chris following reluctantly. Once Chris was situated, Sky turned to whisper a reprimand in his ear. 

“While it was an amusing show and all, you should probably play nice for now. I don’t want to ruin this for Cass.”

Chris was surprised Sky hadn’t asked or even brought up the obvious question. “You don’t—”

“Doesn’t matter right now,” Sky said with a shake of his head. “I’m all ears later.

Trevor glanced between the pair in obvious vexation. “What are you guys whispering about?”

Chris gave Sky a look that communicated well enough that he wasn’t planning on speaking to Trevor anytime soon, so Sky spoke up a second later. “None of your business.”

“Sky—”

“It’s fine, Cass.” Trevor waved the statement off, all the while still meeting Sky’s eyes. “No hard feelings about all of this?”  
Sky nodded. “No hard feelings.”

* * *

Later that night, Sky lay beside Chris at the raven’s apartment. His head rested on his soulmate’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He felt Chris tighten his grip around him ever so slightly.

“I swear Trevor likes you more than he probably should.”

Sky scoffed. “What are you even talking about? He’s straight.”

“Straight as a circle…” Chris muttered.

“And  _ also  _ Cassandra’s soulmate.” Sky tilted his head up to stare his companion in the eyes. “I smell jealousy…” he teased with a smirk.

The taller male rolled his eyes, a small smile still tugging at his lips. “Whatever. Of course I’m not gonna like it when someone is eyeing what’s mine.”

“Yours, huh?” Sky whispered, letting his eyes slip shut. “There’s still one issue with your statement. Trevor isn’t eyeing me and I’m definitely not eyeing him. Not to change the subject or anything, but would you do what Cass said with me?”

“Do what?”

Sky’s eyes opened slightly so his eyes were still lidded, his tone low. “Would you have sex with me?”

Chris’s eyes widened, his face heating up dramatically before he could think to hide it. He stared down at Sky, surprised he wasn’t just as flustered as he was. “I mean… Yeah, of course, but why are you asking so suddenly?”

Sky shrugged. “I was just wondering. You know, if I’m desirable to you.”

“Of course,” Chris murmured. Both his tone and his eyes softened. “But I don’t know how it works all that much… With guys, I mean.”

“That’s fine. We can learn together.”

Chris smiled, his eyes shut as he blindly reached up to caress the arm that rested on his chest. “Alright. Goodnight, Sky.”

“Goodnight.”


	10. Grey Clouds Turned White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early Update!
> 
> [Warning!] Chapter contains sexual content.

Sky was looking through bills when he heard three knocks on his door. He sighed to himself, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t even have to get up to know who it was. Chris’s near frequent surprise visits weren’t all that surprising anymore as one could suspect. He stood to answer the door after a few seconds of thinking.

_ What could he want now? _

He pulled the door open abruptly, staring up at a familiar face with a small smirk.

“Oh, it’s you… Who would have guessed?”

Chris rolled his eyes, pushing past Sky to enter his apartment. “It’s great to see you too,” he stated, the words dripping in sarcasm. 

“So... what’s the occasion this time?”

“Well… I’ve planned a pretty fun day for ourselves if I do say so myself,” Chris started to explain. “What do you think about going on an ice cream date? Just the two of us.”

“An ice cream date…” Sky murmured to himself, glancing back up at his soulmate with a raised eyebrow. “Do you plan on paying?”

Chris shrugged. “Of course. Get dressed.”

“So pushy,” Sky murmured, moving to enter his bedroom to grab a switch of clothes, Chris trailing behind him. He grabbed a t-shirt and thought for a moment before turning back to his soulmate with a questioning gaze. “Is it hot outside?”

Chris shook his head. “Not really. It’s mostly breezy; feels nice outside,” he answered with a smile. “That’s why I thought it’d be nice to get out for a bit.”

“M’kay. I’ll go get changed real quick.”

“Can do.”

As soon as Sky was finished changing, the two of them headed out. They walked together considering the ice cream shop was close; much like almost every shop considering how small the town was. Sky was ultimately pleased with the weather. It wasn’t burning hot, thank God. You could even say it was chilly. Just more evidence of the incoming fall. When they arrived at their destination, Chris, as he had promised, paid for the both of them. 

“What would you two be interested in?” A chipper looking male asked. The dimples on his cheeks and his bright smile made him appear quite young and all the more welcoming.

When Chris turned to him expectantly, money in hand, Sky shrugged. “You can choose. I’m fine with anything.”

Chris nodded and turned to communicate with the ice cream server. He pointed to something on the menu but Sky didn’t necessarily see what. He didn’t really even care. He was just glad to be with his soulmate, even if only for the day. Chris turned back to him with a smile, a bowl of ice cream in one hand and a simple ice cream cone in his other. He handed the bowl to Sky.

“I got you a banana split,” he stated. The raven spared him a brief smile before gesturing for the blonde to follow and leading him elsewhere.

Chris led him to a park a few blocks away, the two of them eating along the way so the ice cream wouldn’t melt before they could actually enjoy it. The pair sat on a bench, Chris weaving a hand behind Sky and around his waist to pull him closer. 

“You know I would have settled for an ice cream cone too, right? You don’t have to waste your money on me,” Sky murmured, but all the while he kept a small smile on his face. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t grateful, far from it, he just sometimes wished his soulmate weren’t so selfless. 

“I want to waste my money on you. It wouldn’t be a waste at all, really. You’re worth it.” He murmured the last statement, but Sky still heard it. “You know you’re worth the world to me, right? I’d do anything for you; no matter how stupid or difficult. You mean everything to me.”

Sky nodded with a smile, not bothering to reply. He knew if he did, some dumb shit would probably come out of his mouth. He just wasn’t as good with the whole “lovey dovey” thing. He hoped Chris knew how much he cared since he knew he’d probably never be able to put it into words.

As long as he knew.

“So…” Chris coughed, his face burning slightly. “My mom wanted a picture of you. It’s already been over a month since she asked so I figured I’d get it out of the way.”

“You want me to send you a picture or what?”

Chris shook his head, fishing in his pocket for his phone. “I was hoping we could take one together.”

“I fucking hate pictures but I guess you aren’t asking too much,” Sky remarked with a smirk, grabbing Chris’s phone out of his hand as soon as he had it out of his pocket. He tapped on the camera, holding it up with a smile. “Say cheese.”

“This isn’t elementary school,” Chris uttered but still obliged after a few seconds. He grinned at the camera, keeping his expression still until Sky snapped the picture. 

Sky handed the phone back to his soulmate, staring at him expectantly. “Good?”

Chris viewed the picture with a bright smile. For such a feisty personality, his soulmate sure was cute. “I want another of just you.”

“Do I get one of you?”

“Later,” he agreed but he didn’t seem to be paying all that much attention.

Chris snapped another quick photo of his hazel-eyed soulmate. This time Sky only gave a small smirk, his expression for the most part relaxed. He sat still compliantly until the picture was taken, requesting to see the picture afterwards. Once he was satisfied, he leaned back against his soulmate once more. 

“I’m glad I’m here with you,” Sky admitted under his breath, silently hoping Chris wouldn’t hear it.

It was silent for a few moments with the exception of occasional cars passing by and the kids playing nearby. The corner of Chris’s lips turned up.

“Me too.”

* * *

Later that night, Chris decided to stay the night at Sky’s place. He currently laid next to his soulmate, the other male already dozing off. Chris always enjoyed these moments. The moments where everything was calm and still and there was no rush; no stress or anything to worry about. 

Just the two of them.

He nudged the other male gently, Sky letting out a questioning groan.

“Want to try something new?” Chris asked, tracing a blunt nail along the blonde’s exposed side. “You’ll like it.”

Sky turned around to face Chris, his eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Close your eyes,” Chris urged, Sky complying with little to no hesitation.

Chris cupped the back of Sky’s neck, pulling him closer gently. He placed a quick peck on soft lips, leaning back in a second later to actually connect their lips. Sky’s lips moved against his, the pace unhurried. When the raven figured his soulmate was relaxed enough, he coaxed Sky’s mouth open with his tongue before slipping the organ inside. The blonde didn’t jump as Chris thought he would, but his eyebrows were suddenly drawn together and he’d stopped moving. Chris didn’t know whether or not to take it as a bad sign, so he kept at it, moving in a slow pace until Sky got used to it.

His tongue ran along the other male’s, trying to coax it into a bought of playing. When Sky still didn’t respond, Chris sucked the other male’s tongue into his own mouth, only separating once Sky placed a hand on his chest, applying just enough pressure that Chris knew he wanted him to back away.

Sky panted, staring at Chris with wide eyes. “That’s new…”

“You don’t like it?”

Sky huffed out a few breaths of laughter. “Felt good, I just don’t exactly know what the fuck I’m supposed to do.”

“It isn’t rocket science. Just move with me,” Chris whispered, leaning in until his lips brushed against Sky’s. “Can you do that for me?”

Instead of answering Sky took initiative and connected his lips with Chris’s a bit more passionately this time. Chris for the most part guided his boyfriend, swiping his tongue along his soulmate’s bottom lip and humming in satisfaction when the blonde’s lips parted instantly to allow him entrance. Their tongues moved together in a steady motion, Sky tugging insistently at the other male until Chris crawled over him so he was hovering over the blonde. 

Sky stared with hooded eyes, his hand tangling in the other male’s hair as he weaved his fingers through the locks. “Let’s have sex tonight…”

Chris’s eyes widened. Of all the things he expected him to say, he didn’t expect that. He wasn’t against it, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to agree if he thought Sky wasn’t ready.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Chris asked as gently as he could manage. “I don’t want this to feel forced. We can always wait as long as you have to. There’s no rush.”

One of Sky’s hands twisted in inky strands of hair and the other into his soulmate’s shirt. He nodded. “I want you.”

Chris bowed his head with a smile. “Alright. If there’s any point where you want to stop, tell me.”

Before Sky could reply, Chris leaned down to connect their lips. While Sky had expecting something rushed, rough… he got the complete opposite. Chris sucked at his lips almost lazily. He almost hated the gentleness, sometimes thought he didn’t deserve it.

His soulmate was perfect.

Sky opened his mouth once he felt Chris trail his tongue along his bottom lip, humming softly at the affection. Their tongues moved together sensually and Sky didn’t want it to end. He felt soft hands trail up his sides, pushing his shirt up in the process. Chris tugged at it gently, breaking the kiss to stare down at Sky expectantly.

Sky complied; lifting his arms above his head so Chris could discard the piece of clothing with ease.

Chris trailed a gentle hand up Sky’s sides, marvelling at how soft the skin was and smiling at the way his touch made his soulmate shiver. Dark brown eyes met hazel before he leaned down to latch his lip onto his soulmate’s neck. He heard Sky hum, gasping when Chris nipped gently at the skin and bite hard enough to leave a mark, but soft enough not to break skin. Hands tangled into his hair, a dull nail grazing his scalp and every once in a while, and there was an insistent tugging of his raven locks.

Everything felt so natural… So perfect with his soulmate. Only with Sky.

A hand moved down to hook in the waistband of Sky’s pants, Chris pulling away to give his soulmate a questioning stare. “Can I…?”

Sky was flushed, his hazel eyes suddenly so much darker. When the blonde didn't say anything, Chris leaned up to place a small peck on his lips. The peck turned into a full bout of making out, the other male for the most part controlling the kiss. It was a welcomed change.

This went on for minutes on end before Chris broke apart. A thin trail of saliva connected their tongues before it broke. 

“Sky?”

“Yeah…” Sky panted out on a puff of air. “Go for it.”

Chris smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of his soulmate’s face. He moved to sit back on his heels, seated directly before the other male’s crotch. He pulled both his pants and his briefs down together in one single motion. Sky aided the removal of the garments by kicking them off, the pair of clothes falling somewhere on the ground in front of the bed.

Chris’s gaze moved up to meet Sky’s, but found his soulmate completely refusing to make eye contact.

“Why the hell am I the only one naked?” he murmured from behind his hand. Despite his embarrassment at being so exposed and vulnerable beneath his soulmate, some part in the back of his mind acknowledged he was perfectly safe.

Chris shrugged and stood to remove all of his clothing until he was on even ground with his boyfriend. He felt eyes on him the entire time, but he didn't mind. He knew he was a relatively good looking guy so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

He dug a knee into the sheets and got situation on either side of Sky once more. He reached for the other male’s member, stroking it slowly until he felt the flesh begin to harden. He pumped up and down leisurely, twisting his wrist when he got to the tip of the girth. 

Rinse and repeat.

Sky gasped beneath him, his hand in his mouth to prevent any embarrassing noises from escaping. Sky arched into the touch as he felt a certain heat blossom in the pit of his stomach and turned to press his face into the pillow beneath him.

Chris tilted Sky’s head up with his free hand, forcing him to meet his eye. “You're beautiful, you know? You're the most beautiful thing I've ever set my eyes upon. You don't need to be embarrassed; I want to hear you…” 

Sky stared with lidded eyes. His hips bucked involuntarily when Chris’s strokes began to pick up speed. He wasn’t used to this. Everything felt to hot and so  _ intoxicating  _ and as he felt himself slipping under, he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to surface again. “Fuck…” he gasped under his breath, his eyes squeezing shut. 

The feeling of someone else’s hand around him felt amazing, way better than when he did it himself. He tossed his head back with a surprised moan when he felt an unexpected scorching heat wrap around him. The raven’s tongue dipped into his slit, drawing a small hiss of pleasure to escape through Sky’s mouth. He was just about to cover his mouth again with the palm of his hand when the warmth was suddenly sucked away from him. Chris grabbed his wrist, staring up at Sky with a serious expression. 

“I want to hear,” he reminded in a raspy voice, moving lower to take his soulmate into his mouth again. 

It was his first time ever orally pleasuring another male, so he took his time. At first he only lapped at the length, dipping his tongue into the slit every now and then having discovered Sky liked that. He tongued the sensitive skin directly below the head of the member, staring up at Sky to watch his reactions.

At that point, Sky looked absolutely ravished, his chest heaving as he tried to control his heavy breaths. Chris smirked at the display, smiling wider when Sky glanced down to meet his lustful gaze. The raven made sure the blonde was watching when he went down again, this time managing to get a good portion of the length down his throat. When he almost gagged he stopped, urging his throat muscles to relax so he could continue. He hollowed his cheeks and bobbed his head up and down, pumping the base of Sky’s member with one hand.

Sky was in pure bliss. The wet heat surrounding him had him letting out a pleasured moan and tangling his finger’s in Chris’s hair. He groaned, partially from pleasure and partially from disappointment when Chris pulled off with a light pop.

“Do you have any lube?” Chris questioned, an eyebrow raised imploringly. “Condoms?”

“No…” Sky panted, his eyes squeezed shut. “There’s some oil… in the bathroom…” 

Chris cupped the side of his soulmate’s face and gently caressed the skin beneath his eye with the pad of his thumb. “Are you sure you want to do this without a condom? We can always wait, Sky.”

“I’m sure.” Sky took Chris’s hand in his own and gave it a squeeze. “I trust you.”

Chris nodded, disappearing out of the room for a little under a minute before returning with the bottle in hand. He poured some onto his fingers, spreading the substance evenly as he coaxed the blonde’s thighs open. He lined a finger up with Sky’s entrance and cast a quick glance up at his soulmate. 

“Are you sure this is okay?”

Sky nodded with a hum.

Chris slipped the first finger in with some resistance. He watched as Sky began to squirm, the raven quietly telling the other male to relax. He waited until Sky calmed before moving again. He pumped his finger in and out slowly, moving his finger around experimentally. He noticed how Sky unconsciously edged away from his touch and felt his eyebrows pull together in worry. Just as he was going to pull out, he curled his finger upward and paused when Sky let out a sharp gasp.

“You okay?” Chris asked, leaning up slightly to place a kiss on Sky’s stomach directly atop his belly button piercing. 

Sky nodded, a flush blooming across his face. “I think… you hit my prostate.” The blonde’s eyes widened when he felt Chris press into that spot more firmly. His hand flew up to cover his mouth, a muffled moan making it’s way past his lips. “Fuck…” 

Chris added another finger alongside the other, making sure to pay extra attention to that specific lump inside Sky to override any discomfort from the initial intrusion. The sound of his soulmate’s moans were music to his ears, further encouraging him to go farther. He made it up to three fingers before Sky spoke again.

“T-That’s enough,” Sky whispered under his breath at Chris’s continued ministrations. “I should be fine now.”

“Are you sure?” Chris questioned softly. “This is your first time, I don’t want to hurt you. I only want to make you feel good.”

“I’m sure,” Sky reassured, casting a small smile in his soulmate’s direction, “but I don’t think there’s going to be a way to make this completely comfortable.”

Chris stared down at his soulmate, taking in his disheveled appearance. His hair lay sprawled out around his face, his facial features flushed and a clear depiction of lustful. His chest rose and fell with the heavy breaths that were escaping him. His member stood tall with arousal, the tip of it already leaking lewdly.

_ Beautiful _ .

After a few moments of thinking, Chris grabbed the discarded oil and covered his member in it. He gave his member a few strokes before lining himself up. He pushed in as slowly and gently as he could manage, letting out a near silent groan at how tight Sky was. 

Sky wasn’t doing any better. His breaths grew ragged, his hands making their way onto Chris’s shoulders. He gave near constant squeezes to them, multiple labored gasps escaping his mouth. 

Chris pushed in until his hips were flush against Sky, leaning down to press a passionate kiss to Sky’s lips. He gave an experimental thrust of his hips, stopping when Sky let out a groan and tugged at a strand of his hair.

“Are you okay?” Chris questioned, pushed a few stray hairs out of the blonde’s face. “Like I said… we can always stop if you want to. It’s okay.”

“No,” Sky gasped, “Just…don’t move, please.”

Chris nodded and waited patiently until Sky gave him the go ahead, for the meantime switching from letting his hands and fingers dance over the blonde’s body and playing with the blonde’s member. He started to slowly thrust into Sky when he heard the blonde’s whispered consent. 

He bent down to mouth at Sky’s neck, nibbling on the sensitive skin until it began to bruise. He felt shaky hands in his hair holding him there as Sky let out moan after moan. He left a warm trail of kisses along his neck before locking lips with Sky.

The raven practically swallowed the blonde’s gasps and moans, his tongue busy exploring the wet cavern of his soulmate’s mouth as his thrusts started to pick up. He kept a steady pace, groaning alongside his companion. He hadn’t indulged in sex for some time and somehow the experience felt different; somehow better. Then again, everything felt better with Sky. 

“I… hah… I love you, Sky,” he whispered into the other male’s ear, taking hold of his member and pumping it in time with his thrusts. “I love you so much…”

“I-”  Sky cut himself off with a choked moan when Chris managed to hit his prostate, his eyes squeezing shut at the onslaught of pleasure running through him. The blonde began to push back against the gentle thrust of his soulmate’s hips.

Sky felt the tears brimming in the corner of his eyes and he couldn’t even bring himself to be bothered by it. He’d never felt so happy and taken care of before in his life. His hands rested on the other male’s back, his blunt nails digging into Chris’s back every time he gave a thrust that felt particularly good. His hand rested atop Chris’s pumping hand encouragingly, throwing his head back when both Chris’s thrust and his hand sped up.

“I’m close…” Sky whispered, reaching up to pull Chris down so their chests were pressed together and their faces were close enough that their breaths mixed. 

“Me too…” Chris pressed his face into the crook of Sky’s neck and the puffs of air that emitted his lips left Sky shivering from the thrill alone. 

He leaned back slightly so he could stare into the blonde’s hazel eyes as his thrusts began to pick up speed until they became vigorous and erratic, leaving Sky gasping for breath almost every time their hips met. The blonde came with a silent scream but his eyes never left the dark brown orbs of the man above him. Chris shuddered at the intense gaze, reaching his release a little bit after him.

Chris leaned onto Sky, grinding into the male to ride out his orgasm. Sky panted beneath him, rubbing Chris’s back tenderly as small spasms racked his body every now and then. They were both covered in sweat, but neither of them cared. Chris placed a soft kiss to Sky’s cheek, his nose, and then his forehead before finally going still inside him with a sigh.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he panted into Sky’s neck. “I didn’t mean to get so rough…”

“Don’t worry so much.” Sky’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “It felt good; no harm done.”

Chris smiled, pulling out and standing up to retrieve some wipes to clean the both of them off. He was glad everything went well considering it was his first time with Sky. His first time with someone who actually meant something to him. If he was being honest with himself, the only reason he was so quick to agree was because it meant he’d be Sky’s first. He was his first relationship, his first kiss, the first to take his virginity, practically his first  _ everything _ . It felt liberating and made him feel special. He wished he could have given Sky the same feeling, but he couldn’t. What was done, was done.

He entered the bedroom once again to see Sky resting with his eyes closed, a hand on his stomach. Chris crawled on the bed to sit on his heels beside him, cleaning his soulmate off to the best of his ability. Once finished, he began cleaning himself off as well. He threw the now soiled wipes in a wastebasket somewhere close to the bed.

The two of them settled under the covers, Chris cuddling up next to the other male until he was spooning him. It was quiet, the night calming and still. The raven was just beginning to nod off when Sky suddenly spoke up in a slightly raspy voice.

“Chris?”

Chris tightened his grip protectively around the other male. “Hmm?”

“I love you, too.”

Chris smiled, his heart fluttering inside his chest. He kissed Sky’s shoulder affectionately. 

“I know.”


	11. Surprise Hello

Chris squinted his eyes open, unconsciously tightening his grip around the male in his arms. He inhaled Sky’s scent, smiling into his soft blonde hair. He froze however when a sudden thought came to mind. He didn’t feel any clothes between them, just pure skin. 

His face warmed a bit as the previous day’s events filtered through his mind. He had to wonder how the situation had managed to escalate so fast in the first place. It had started with a simple kiss and turned into a fit of passion. Their body rolling together in ecstasy, declarations of love… God, it was almost too much to process. He didn’t regret a bit of it, though.

He stole a glance at the clock. It was only a little bit past nine o'clock, which meant he would have some time to prepare a late breakfast for Sky before he woke up. He pressed a quick but none the less affectionate kiss to Sky’s shoulder before getting out of bed. He threw on a pair of briefs and a pair of joggers he found lying around on the floor and then proceeded to exit the room. 

He looked through his cabinets for something decent to prepare. If he were only making a meal for himself, he would easily settle for something simple like scrambled eggs or a bowl of cereal, but he was making something for his soulmate so he reasoned he wanted to put more effort into it. 

He ended up deciding to make some pancakes for his boyfriend. His mother had taught him how to cook at a young age which was a blessing, but he never really utilized the knowledge. He usually settled for instant meals or fast food. It sure as hell wasn’t healthy, but he was still somehow managing to keep a decent physique. 

He was grabbing the flour out of one of the cabinets when the soft creak of a door opening caught his ears. He turned to his bedroom doorway, Sky appearing a few moments later. He was dressed in a pair of Chris’s clothes, something he had done before so it wasn’t that much of a surprise. It fit him well for the most part, just a little bigger than his own size.

Sky stood there quietly for a moment, watching as Chris continued gathering more of the necessary ingredients. He only spoke when Chris turned to look at him questioningly again. 

“I’ve been awake for a short while. I’m a light sleeper, you know?” He spoke quietly, his tone almost sounding unsure which just wasn’t like Sky. The blonde usually approached everything with confidence so his hesitation was odd.

Chris gave a small smile. “I figured that much. Are you up for breakfast? I was going to make you some pancakes.”

Sky nodded silently, seating himself at the kitchen island. He reached for a blue narrow vase, inspecting it idly. “I didn’t know you cooked.”

“That’s because I usually don’t. I know how, I’m just too lazy to bother with it most of the time.” Chris frowned when his soulmate didn’t make any further attempts at conversation. He set his ladle down, grabbing the vase out of Sky’s hand. He cupped his soulmate’s chin, pressing a gentle kiss to soft lips. “What’s up with you?” he whispered against the blonde’s lips with furrowed brows.

“I’m sorry. I just feel kinda… awkward, I guess.” He gave a humorless laugh. “I mean seriously, what the fuck does one talk about after having sex?”

“Well… you can always start with telling me how good it was,” Chris suggested playfully. It was just a simple lighthearted comment that he hoped would lighten the mood and break any tension between them.

It worked like a charm.

Sky laughed, his cheeks heating up against his will. “Don’t be a jackass.”

“Just a suggestion,” Chris teased with a wink, going back to his task of preparing breakfast. “But on a serious note, you feel okay, right? Nothing… hurts?”

“It’s no big deal,” Sky reassured, resting his head in his arms. “It’s just a small ache in my lower back. Nothing that can’t be fixed.”

“Sorry about that,” Chris said with a grimace. “Are you staying here today or are you going home?” He set a pan on the stove, spraying it a moment later. “I was hoping we could go to the store together and then laze around a bit. Just… spend time together.”

“I'm up for it,” Sky agreed. 

Chris turned to Sky, staring at him blankly as if he had suddenly zoned out. His head tilted, staring at Sky thoughtfully. “Can you wear your hair down? Just for today?”

The word “no” was already on Sky’s lips as soon as he asked the question, but he decided against it. It was a simple request and considering all of the things Chris had done for him, it was the least he could do. He nodded slowly, reaching up behind his head to pull the elastic band out. His long hair spread out along his back, the silky strands falling perfectly.

Chris smiled at the sight. “I really like your hair. You pull it off well.”

“Thanks,” Sky murmured under his breath. “Can’t say I understand why, though. It’s just hair.”

“Well, from the looks of your hair, it doesn’t seem like you treat it like _just hair_ ,” Chris teased, returning to his task of preparing breakfast once again.

A quick ten minutes later, the two of them were seated across from one another as they ate at the table. Chris ended up preparing eggs, sausage, and homemade pancakes; a simple, but delicious meal. As Sky ate, Chris used the moment to look over his soulmate’s appearance. The blonde’s hair fell over his shoulder, his softer features relaxed and his hazel eyes were lidded, probably from slight fatigue, as he chewed his food. 

“Chris?”

Chris jumped at the sound of his name. He really couldn’t help zoning out. With every second he spent around the blonde, he only fell deeper and deeper. At this point, he figured there was no way out. The only way was down.

He felt a light kick to his lower ankle under the table. “Hello…?”

Chris felt his face warm, laughing almost nervously. “Sorry. What did you want?”

Sky stared, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “I was just wondering why you’re staring at me like a fucking creep.”

Chris held his hands up defensively. “They’re all looks of admiration. Calm down feisty thing.”

Sky snorted, the corner of his lips turning up in amusement at the name. “Feisty thing?”

“Well, what better way to describe you?”

Sky smirked at that, placing his chin in his hands. “Good point.”

* * *

 

They ended up leaving rather early to venture off to the store, the ride only taking about five minutes at most. They entered the building together side by side, but Sky couldn’t help but notice how Chris didn’t stick too close. He had to wonder if he was still uncomfortable being with another man. 

The blonde reached out for the other male’s hand to test his assumptions, his eyes narrowing when Chris moved his hand away. The raven wasn’t completely obvious about it, though. He did it in a way that made it seem almost casual, like he never had the intention of denying Sky the right to hold his hand in public. Sky decided against saying something about it. He really didn’t want to get into another argument for a million reasons.

They mostly went shopping for the more important essentials they would need for the apartment but, soon enough, they ended up in the candy section of the store. Sky gave Chris a look as soon as they stopped in front of the aisle, an eyebrow raised. 

Chris shrugged. “I have a sweet tooth. Want anything?”

Sky shook his head. “No, thanks.”

“Who denies free candy?” Chris asked with a skeptical look.

“My mom loved sweets and for the most part, I did too. Basically, when I was younger, my mom would cook a shit ton of _really_ sweet food so I somewhat despise sweet food now as a result. End of story.”

Chris nodded mostly to himself, his mouth forming an ‘O’ of understanding. “Good to know.”

While they were on their way to pay for their food, Chris was stopped by an apparent older friend from when he was in high school. Chris gave a small wave when he saw him, completely set on going about his day, but apparently, the other male didn’t have the same plans. 

“Christopher, is that you? Geez, man, I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“It’s Blake, right?” Chris asked, a small friendly smile forming on his face.

“I half expected a horde of girls to be following behind you,” The male teased, giving him a nudge on the shoulder as if they were childhood friends. “You were a real player back then. One _real_ lucky bastard.”

Sky frowned when Chris hummed. He didn’t seem to be wanting to have that particular conversation, but he was too polite to tell the other man to kindly fuck off. Sky thought about doing it himself, but it wasn’t any of his business so he chose to stay out of it.

“Who is he?”

Sky’s gaze moved to the stranger, his expression for the most part blank. “ _He_ is right here. Maybe next time you should think to ask him. It’s Sky, why do you need to know?”

The way too cheery male only grinned, seemingly not getting the hint. “Just curious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here. Are you family?”

Sky opened his mouth to reply, but Chris beat him to it. 

“Sky’s one of my close friends,” he answered, running a hand through his tousled hair. “It was nice seeing you, but I really have to get some things done.”

Blake nodded. “You too, man. See you around.”

And so they parted. It was silent as they made the trip to pay for the food. Sky couldn’t help but notice the flush that had colored Chris’s ears. His face was probably just as red, but he couldn’t see from behind him. They paid for all of the food and made their way to Chris’s car with multiple bags in hand. The ride back was filled with silence, too, until Sky decided to break it.

“Friends, huh?”

Chris sighed, not bothering to turn to actually make eye contact with his currently fuming soulmate. “Look, he was absolutely nobody. I don’t really even know him. It wasn’t any of his business to begin with, okay?”

“Whatever.”

They pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, Chris parking the car before turning to Sky. “Can you go inside and just wait for me in the living room? I need to talk to you. Don’t worry about putting anything away, I’ll take care of everything.”

Sky stared into Chris’s eyes, clearly confused. “We need to talk about what?”

“You know what, Sky.”

Sky sighed, giving a single nod. “Sure.”

Chris moved quickly, putting the groceries away rather sloppily but it got the job done faster. As soon as he was done putting the last food item up, he hurried to the living room where Sky was occupied as promised. He straddled his soulmate’s thighs, getting himself comfortable on Sky’s lap. He leaned in to place a kiss on the blonde’s forehead. 

“I’m sorry, okay?” Chris whispered against Sky’s forehead. “Of course I see you as more than a friend, but I’m just not comfortable letting other people know that yet. I couldn’t have hidden that fact from Cass or Trevor if I tried. They were bound to know sooner or later, but for everyone else it’s just difficult. You know I love you, right?”

Sky nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

“So just be patient with me,” Chris whispered before leaning down to connect his lips with Sky’s. 

Sky hummed, closing his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Chris’s waist to support him, pulling him closer in his on vigor. He was so caught up in the kiss that he almost missed the sound of the doorbell ringing. Chris pulled away to look towards the door, his eyes slightly hooded and his lips now swollen. 

He only got up when he heard the sound of the doorbell ringing for the second time, murmuring he’d be right back. He frowned when he heard the insistent knocking at the door, the sound of heavy fists hitting the door ringing through the small apartment. 

Sky got up to follow behind him when he heard it, his expression a mixture of annoyed and worried. “Did you have any planned visitors?”

Chris shook his head. “Not one.”

Chris practically swung the door open with little to no hesitation. “What do you wa—”

The raven froze when he eyes caught sight of a familiar face, the brown orbs going wide.

“Dad?”


	12. Blind To See & Tired To Tell

“What are you doing here?”

Sure enough, his father stood there in all his glory. The older man held his arms seemingly in hopes to keep warm from the chilly weather. He only wore a thin jacket and some tattered looking jeans to be fair.

“Listen, Chris. I’m not upset, I just want to have a serious talk.”

Chris stared incredulously. “You couldn’t have just called? You had to come all the way out here?”

His dad scoffed, the corner of his lips turning up in an unsure manner. “And here I thought you’d be glad to see me. Can I come in—” He trailed off, his attention shifting to something behind Chris. “Who are you?”

Sky spared a glance to his boyfriend, and then back to Chris’s dad. He sighed under his breath, but he managed to hold eye contact with the man as he said, “I’m just a friend.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, at that moment looking very alike to an older Chris. People had always told Chris he looked like a clone of his father. They possessed the very same angular elegant eyes, the same defined nose, and they usually seemed to carry the same demeanor. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Dad—”

“I’m just curious, Chris. Calm down.” He turned to Sky again, his stare obviously suspicious. “Well?”

Sky shrugged mostly to himself. While the man was making him uncomfortable, he had no problem with sharing his name. He looked up into the man’s eyes with feigned friendliness. “It’s Sky Young. Pleasure to meet you, sir. Now if you don’t mind me asking, how am I to refer to you?”

The man’s brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing with the movement. “Then you guys aren’t just friends, are you? You’re Chris’s soulmate.”

“Dad, I swear to god,” Chris murmured under his breath, aiming a glare his father’s way. He looked decidedly uncomfortable, his arms crossed his chest in a manner that made it seem as if he’d give _anything_ not to be in the position he was in at the moment. His grip on himself tightened when his father spoke again.

“I…” His dad paused with a sigh, glancing down at his feet for a moment. “I was just surprised, Chris, when I called you before. Don’t take anything I said to heart. I just don’t understand why you would even want to be with him. Out of everyone in the world, why _him_?”

Sky’s eyebrows rose in surprise and agitation. “Excuse me?”

“Sky, this is my dad you’re talking to,” Chris reminded. He turned to his father with a frown. “We’ve been over this. Sky is my soulmate. I didn’t just… _choose_ him.”

Sky crossed his arms across his chest, his face flushing incredulously. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what he said. He didn’t choose you so I think it would be best—”

“Fuck you and your beliefs.”

“Sky!” Chris exclaimed with wide eyes. There was silence for a few moments, the air tense. Chris sighed. “How about I handle this? You can just go—”

“Hell no. I wanna hear everything the both of you have to say. Seems to me like I'm missing something. For example, when I _forced_ you to go out with me.”

“Sky, you know I didn't mean it like that.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“I don't mean to interrupt your lover’s spat, but can I come in? It's getting chilly out here. Colder than I remember…” Chris’s dad stated, tapping his foot against the floor impatiently. 

Chris ran a hand along his face. “Uh, sure dad. You're ruining some of my personal plans, but I'm sure you don't exactly care, do you?”

“Chris,” His dad reprimanded in an overly typical fatherly tone. “I just want to talk to you. To _both_ of you.”

“Whatever. I already said you could come in.”

Chris held the door open wider and stepped to the side to let his father in. He was beyond annoyed at that point. Whatever his father wanted to talk to them about would be pointless. There was no doubt in his mind that his father would try to convince him to leave Sky, but there was no way in hell that was going to happen. 

The trio seated themselves in the living room, the raven’s father sitting across from him and Sky. To Chris’s dismay, the blonde chose to sit on another armchair as opposed to sitting on the couch beside him. He was making it no secret he wasn’t happy with Chris.

And all while things had been going so well, his dad just _had_ to come and ruin everything. 

Sky looked decidedly miserable and Chris hated that he was most likely the cause of that. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of his father since he had sat down. One of his hands played with a strand of his hair, most likely pulling some of it out in his own roughness, and his other hand rested on his thigh. 

“So what’s the problem?” Sky asked with narrow eyes. “Do you have any idea how late you are anyway? We’ve been dating for some months now. Do you really think anything you say will change anything? Your son is perfectly happy being with me, isn’t that enough for you?”

Chris’s father sighed. “I just want to understand. Nothing about you two being together makes any sense. Chris has never been interested in men so the fact that his soulmate is a guy is plain confusing.”

Sky’s eyes narrowed to slits. “The only thing that’s _plain confusing_ is why this is even a big deal. He’s dating someone who happens to be of the same gender. So what? Get fucking over it.”

As Chris watched the argument unfold, he suddenly felt helpless; like there was nothing he could do. He felt nervous and, oddly enough, scared. It was almost like it was his first time actually having to face the truth. He had the choice to side with whomever he chose but that also meant he’d be disappointing the other person. Both of the people in the room meant a lot to him, though, so he was stuck fighting with himself in silence.

And shit, this whole situation was just way too confusing.

He wished he could just hit a rewind button and go back to before he had heard that insistent knock on the door. Hell, maybe even going back to right after they had made love would be the better option. Somehow, Chris just always managed to disappoint someone, and he was _sick_ of it. Sick of feeling like an object meant to please other people no matter how much it bothered him.

“Chris?”

Chris jumped slightly, turning to Sky with a surprised expression on his face. Sky’s tone didn’t seem all that annoyed… quite the opposite actually. But wasn’t Sky pissed at him? 

“Yeah?”

Sky stared for a moment, his eyes roaming all over his face in what seemed to be an attempt to analyse him. The blonde gave up on trying to read him soon enough, however. “Are you okay?”

Chris nodded almost immediately, but was he really? His head was beginning to hurt and he wanted the exchange to end as quickly as possible. “I’m fine.”

Chris thought for a moment on the currently situation; considered both his father’s words and his soulmate’s. He would have to pick a side sooner or later. He turned to glance at Sky again, noticing the look on his face that seemed to say, “do something. Tell him how you actually feel.” 

Stop hiding.

Chris nodded, more so to himself than anyone else. He’d never been one to hide. He’d never been one to fear the consequence of being himself. He’d never been one to fear consequence _at all_ , for that matter, because what did it matter to him what anyone else thought.

He pushed the small thought to the back of his mind that said his father wasn’t just _anyone_. He’d made his decision.

Chris turned to his father with a deadpan expression on his face. “You’re wasting my time with this unnecessary conversation. You’re a liar. You aren’t here in an attempt to _understand_. You’re here for what you think is a better opportunity to prove a point that shouldn’t exist.” 

Holy shit, that felt liberating for Chris to get out. He continued without another thought. “Sky is my soulmate, my _fated lover_. I didn’t choose him, it’s just the way things are and I wouldn’t change that for anything. I’m glad I met him when I did and when I was starting to feel more alone than ever. He’s someone I can rely on to have my back and I have his. Your words aren’t going to change a thing so you might as well leave now.”

His father was left speechless. Chris turned to Sky and his eyes softened when he saw the way his boyfriend’s shoulders slumped in what seemed to be relief. He looked as if he was going to cry but was trying to keep it in. Chris wanted to hold him close and tell him it was okay but not with his father there. 

Chris stood, stretching his arms above his head. “You need to leave. You have no business being here and Sky and I are kinda busy.”

His father’s face flushed in anger. “ _You_ have no business talking to me like that. I’m not one of your friends, Christopher. I’m still your dad.”

“I hear you, but I need you to hear _me_ now.” Chris ran a hand through his hair, walking over to stand next to Sky. “At the end of the day, who I sleep with shouldn’t matter to you. Who I date or eventually choose to _marry_ shouldn’t matter to you. Everything I do should concern me, myself, and I. I’m with Sky because he makes me happy. You can’t tell me you seriously believe I should break up with him and put my own happiness on the line for your own, right?”

His father only stared for a few moments silently. Chris couldn’t even begin to guess what he was thinking. Sooner or later, the man stood up and made his way towards the door, all the while shaking his head and grumbling something under his breath. He opened the door and was just about to step out when he turned one last glare on Sky.

“Sky, was it? I hope you’re proud of ruining my son’s life.”

With that said, he swiftly made his exit, getting in his car and speeding away. 

The two males were silent for a short period to time, the atmosphere still tense. Chris sighed, moving to crouch directly in front of where Sky still sat. He took one of Sky’s hands in his own and leaned forward a place a kiss on his lips but paused when Sky only shook his head. The raven sighed softly, instead bringing the blonde’s hand to his lips to press a kiss to his knuckles and then to his glowing wrists.  

Sky rolled his eyes, the hazel orbs trained up at the ceiling as if it was suddenly that interesting.

“I’m sorry,” Chris apologized, his expression soft and relaxed. “I didn’t know he’d be coming here. If  I’d known, I wouldn’t have answered the door.”

“When did you first have a conversation with him about this?”

Chris’s eyebrows rose. “Huh?”

“Your dad mentioned he talked to you before. When?” Sky questioned, his eyes finally meeting Chris. His gaze was expecting and critical, as if he expected him to lie.

Chris was no liar.

“Around two weeks ago. It was basically the same conversation we just had but…” Chris paused, thinking on his answer.  “Worse.”

“So why didn’t you tell me two weeks ago?” Sky asked with narrowed eyes. “That’s the type of shit I need to know. So your dad is a homophobic piece of shit, too. The more we know, the better.”

Chris winced at his soulmate’s sudden less than friendly tone. “He isn’t homophobic. He’s just surprised. Just as surprised as I was and maybe even a little more so. He’ll warm up to the idea one day.”

“When?” Sky questioned. “An hour from now? Tomorrow? When he’s on his deathbed? He shouldn’t have to warm up to the idea, Chris. He should just fucking love you for who you are.”

Chris wasn’t even surprised when he saw a tear fall from Sky’s eye. He wiped it away with a gentle thumb, his hand cupping the side of his soulmate’s face. He smiled when Sky held his hand there, his eyes closing as he fought to get his emotions under control. 

“Does it really matter what the hell he thinks?” Chris pointed out, staring at his soulmate with loving eyes.

“Of course not.”

“Trust me. My dad can be abrasive at times, but he isn’t as much of a jerk as he may seem to be right now. He’ll calm down eventually, okay?”

Sky nodded, his eyes opening when he heard Chris’s phone going off. His eyes narrowed for what seemed like the thousandth time that day alone. “Is it him?”

Chris pulled his phone out of his back pocket to check the caller ID. His eyebrows pulled together when he read the name. His mother was calling. Chris couldn’t help but wonder what she could have possibly wanted.

“I’m gonna go answer this.” He stood up to go to another room, but to his surprise, he was pulled down onto Sky’s lap, instead. He turned a questioning glance onto his boyfriend. “What?”

“Answer it here,” he requested, his arms wrapped around Chris’s waist to prevent him from leaving. “I don’t want to be left in the dark again. I want to know exactly what’s going on when it’s going on.”

Chris shrugged. He turned to glance at his phone screen. He’d accidentally let it go to voicemail and was just about to redial the number when his mom called him again. He answered and put the phone up to his ear. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Chris.” He heard some rustling on the other side of the phone before his mother spoke again. “How are you doing?”

“I’m… fine,” Chris answered in confusion. “You don’t have to beat around the bush. What’s up?”

“Was… your father just with you?”

Chris’s reply was interrupted when he heard Sky whisper to him. 

“Can you put it on speaker?” he asked quietly, seeming genuinely curious. 

Chris nodded, clicking the speaker icon and setting the phone down on the arm of the chair. 

“Yeah,” the raven answered when his mother asked again. “He left a few minutes ago.”

“I’m so sorry.” His mother’s tone was quiet and it sounded unsure. “I held off on telling him about you and your soulmate for a while. I just… knew he wouldn’t take it well. He left out sometime late last night and told me he was coming to visit you, but I didn’t expect him to give you and your boyfriend so much hell. He called me right before I called you and went off in a fit of anger. Something about how disrespectful you guys are…?”

She let the statement trail off into a question, so Chris decided to step up and explain. “Yeah, but I’d argue it was warranted. He blatantly disrespected Sky and I and told us we shouldn’t be together as if that was ever his decision to make.”

There was a sigh on the other line. “I would normally tell you to respect your father, but in this case, I guess I’ll let it slide. I'm sorry for all of the shit you’re getting from him. I’ll have a talk with him later.”

“It isn’t your fault.” Chris leaned his head back onto Sky’s shoulder, glancing up at him through his eyelashes. “You want to talk to her?”

Sky nodded with a little hesitation. Chris passed the phone over to him, the blonde holding it out in front of him. “Hello?”

There was a pause. “Who is this?”

“It’s Sky, Chris’s soulmate.”

Another pause. “You’re… Chris’s soulmate,” she said to herself in what seemed to be disbelief. “Hello, Sky. How are you doing?”

“Just fine, ma’am,” Sky replied politely. Call him a kiss ass, but he really wanted to get on this woman’s good side. “And you?”

“Just great. Listen, I apologize for the way my husband presented himself to you. Please trust me when I say he isn’t usually like that. I’ll make sure to talk to him tonight.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Sky reassured. “I’ve already heard what you’ve said to Chris.”

“Oh.” There was a sheepish laugh on the other line. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Sky. I hope one day we can talk on better circumstances.”

Sky smiled even though she couldn’t see it. “Likewise.”

“Bye ma,” Chris called out before Sky pressed the end call button. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, Chris. Bye.”

Sky handed Chris’s phone back to him with a small amused smile. 

“What?”

“You’re such a mama’s boy.” Sky teased.

Chris blushed in slight embarrassment. He was glad to see Sky’s mood had improved, though.

“It's fine, though,” Sky reassured, pressing a soft kiss to Chris’s neck. “I think it’s cute.”

Chris smiled. “You know I love you, right? I wouldn’t trade you for anything and I won’t let anything come between us.”

Sky nodded, his grip on Chris tightening. “Yeah.”


	13. Count On Me

Cass smiled and handed the customer her choice of drink and her sandwich to go with it. Her grin only widened when the lady handed her a ten and told her to keep the change. The brunette thanked the generous woman with enthusiasm, telling her to have a nice day as she stepped out and the familiar jingle played.

She leaned onto the counter and glanced around the cafe. Well, Bianca was doing her usual rounds again. As much as the girl got on her nerves, she couldn’t help but laugh at her seductive manner of taking orders and passing out drinks. She would never understand her actions but hey, she wasn’t complaining. She’d be lying if she said Bianca method didn’t bring in more customers. She usually knew when flirting wasn’t okay; particularly when the couple was obviously on a date or if there were any kids. Cass laughed to herself when her thoughts trailed back to the time Bianca had apparently gotten called out by Sky. 

“I guess she’d never considered there would be gay customers…” Cassandra murmured to herself with an amused grin.

She stood at attention when the jingle went off and a potential customer walked through the door. She sighed to herself when the young man didn’t go to the counter, instead walking off to sit with some apparent friends of his. 

Business wasn’t terrible, but it could have been better. Mondays were oddly enough the best day for them usually while during the weekend, business was slow. Cass perked up again when the door opened again, a young couple entering with small smiles on their faces. 

“Hello. What can I get you guys?”

Cass listened intently as they rattled off their orders, nodding once they finished to silently communicate to them that she understood. She quickly got the orders together, telling the couple the amount it would cost before handing their food to them and sending them off with a small “come again”. 

She stood there for a good while, no customers in sight. When a whole ten minutes passed, she decided to take a small break. She pulled out her phone and held it under the counter so hopefully no customers would see. She sent Sky a quick text.

[Cass] When haven’t hung out alone in a while. Wanna come over after my shift and play some board games?

“How irresponsible of you.”

Cass glanced up with a raised eyebrow to regard Bianca who was now in front of the desk staring at her with a smirk. She slid her phone into her back pocket. “Almost as irresponsible of you constantly trying to get laid on the job.”

Bianca’s eyebrows rose. “Touche. I was wondering if you knew where all of our customers went? They’re not in your trunk, are they?”

“We can always go check if you want.”

Bianca shook her head with a laugh. “Too much effort. It’s boring as fuck around here without people to bother though. Hey, how about you invite blonde over? I’m up for a round two.”

Cass put her head in her chin. “You really want to get cursed out again? And I thought once was enough for you.”

“If you think once is enough, you don’t know me.”

Cass nodded. “You’re right. I kinda want to keep it that way so get back to work.”

“You don’t always have to be a bitch to me, you know?”

“If I’m always bitching at you then stay away.” Cass pointed a finger at the woman across from her with a smirk. “You never know. You can be the next one in my trunk, keep it up.”

Bianca rolled her eyes, beginning to walk away. “Whatever, short stack.”

Cass watched her leave with peaked interest. She was in a surprisingly good mood today. Bianca was actually pretty cool once you got to know her, but that still didn’t take away from the fact she walked around acting like a two dollar whore when she wasn’t being a complete asshole. Perhaps that was a harsh word, but hey.

What better way to describe her?

She jumped in surprise when her phone buzzed in her back pocket. She pulled it out with a frown. Why the vibrate function was on, she didn’t know. She read the text she had received feeling thoroughly violated by the electronic in her hand.

[Sky] Sure. Trevor’s busy?

[Cass] Nah, I just miss my best buddy. Whatcha been up to?

[Sky] Fending off bullshit. It’s getting pretty hard to do nowadays.

[Cass] What happened?

[Sky] I’ll tell you when I get there.

[Sky] Oh, yeah. Stop texting on the job. Get back to work, idiot.

[Cass] Whatever. Love you, too, by the way!

She set her phone on the counter with a smile, standing up a little straighter when another customer entered the door.

“Hello. What can I get you today?”

* * *

While the work day was relatively slow, it ended on a good note. She had had no problems with neither her coworkers, or the customers for once and that said a lot. She pulled up next to the curb in front of Sky’s apartment. She noticed one of the blinds open and close before the door opened and Sky walked out to the car. 

“Hey,” Sky said in means of a simple greeting as he shut the car door. He gave her a small smile. “What do you have planned when we get there?”

“Wait and see,” Cass insisted with a wiggle of her eyebrows. She reached to turn on the music in the car, putting on some cliche pop song and bobbing her head to the annoying but admittedly catchy beat.

“Oh my god,” Sky groaned, covering his face with both hands. “Please, no.”

Cass pulled out onto the road to start the drive to her home. She gave Sky’s shoulder a playful nudge. “You should sing along! I swear to you you have the voice of an angel. You really should have taken advantage of that skill. You could have made a ton of money and uh… provided me with some of it.”

Sky rolled his eyes with a huff of laughter. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Cass gave a chuckle. “Whatever you say, love.

* * *

 

As soon as they arrived, Cass instantly moved to grab some board games while Sky sat at the dining table. She looked at her closet full of games, turning to Sky with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you wanna play?”

“Anything you’d like is fine with me.”

Cass shrugged, grabbing a deck of cards and monopoly. They decided on playing the card game first due to the fact that monopoly was a much longer game. Not to mention it usually got a little… emotional when they played. They honestly couldn’t help it; they were competitive people. It almost always ended with an argument about a certain nonexistent rule, someone accusing the other of cheating, or in one or two cases, one of the two flipping the board. 

Both times Cass had done it had been warranted though!

She sat across from Sky, shuffling the cards. She gave her friend a look. “So… have you guys fucked yet?”

Sky stared at her for a long while in silence. How he ended up with the weirdest friend, he’d never know. “Once, I guess,” he admitted with a shrug.

“Oh my gosh, when?” Cass exclaimed with suddenly wide eyes. “When did this happen? You’re supposed to tell me this stuff! What the hell?”

Sky grimaced. “Holy shit, you need to calm down. It was sometime around a week ago.”

“Was it as good as porn makes it seem?”

“Cass, what the hell?”

Cass whined. “Oh, come on! I’m now the only inexperienced one. You should tell me these things! In all seriousness, was it good, though? He didn’t go overboard or anything, right?”

“It was… good,” Sky admitted. “Better than good if I’m being honest with myself.” 

“Are you willing to share some explicit details?”

Sky flushed bright red at that comment. For them being as close as they were, almost like siblings, talking to her about sex was always awkward for him even though it seemed she had no shame whatsoever on the topic. 

“And this is where you stop asking weird questions, and I stop answering.”

Cass laughed, beginning to pass out the cards. She gave both of them eleven cards each before setting the rest of the cards in a pile and grabbing the one on the top to flip it. She sat that one on the side of the pile.

“Alright, so on a serious note,” she put a blue card down. “What’s up?”

“A week ago Chris’s dad made an unexpected visit to his apartment,” Sky stated as he put a blue card down as well.

“So what’s the problem?”

“He’s a homophobic asshole. Apparently, he went out of his way to drive all the way down here just to tell us how we shouldn’t be together and some other bullshit.”

“Oh…” Cass’s gaze softened as she set her cards face down for the moment. “Did Chris take it badly?”

Sky shrugged. “He looked fine, but I wouldn’t know. He doesn’t tell me shit.”

“So he’s a bit of a more closed off person…” Cass thought for a moment. She could see what he meant. While Chris always looked relatively happy, she knew there was more beyond the surface. “Try to get him to open up more.”

“Well, what the hell do you think I’ve been doing?”

“Well, yeah, but knowing you, I doubt you’re using the right methods.”

Sky sighed, placing his cards down as well to put his head in his hands. “I know. Everything is just so fucking stressful right now. I thought I knew plenty about him but now I’m having my doubts. I never realized how much he loves to just… pretend.”

Cass offered an encouraging smile to her friend. “You’re doing fine. Relationships aren’t all flowers and rainbows, there will be problems. You just have to learn to navigate around them.”

Sky returned the smile. “Being here with you helps. Now, how are you and Trevor? Haven’t heard much about you guys lately.”

“Uh… we’re fine. He’s a cool guy, but he’s nowhere near as fun as you and Chris. He has his funny moments, but for the most part he’s kinda on the serious side, which sucks.”

“He’s closed off, too, huh?”

Cass snorted, picking up her cards again to play her turn. “You couldn’t be closer to the truth. You know he’s jealous of Chris?”

“Really?” Sky asked, his head tilted to the side in thought. “Well that’s funny because Chris is jealous of him, too. For entirely different reasons though. Apparently, he thinks I have a bit of a thing for your boyfriend which is completely ridiculous.”

Cass laughed. “At least Chris has a reason. I have no idea whatsoever why Trevor has a problem with Chris. I mean, Chris hasn’t done anything to him as far as I’m concerned. Well, excluding the picnic ordeal, at least. Do you have any idea what that was about?”

“All I know is they were childhood friends,” Sky shrugged. “It’s all Chris told me when I brought it up to him. I don’t know what caused a rift in their relationship, just that something did.”

“Yeah… thought so.”

They continued playing in comfortable silence. There was some banter between the pair every now and then, but for the most part they focused on winning. Cass was down to two cards, both of them green, when Sky suddenly pulled out a pull four card that also allowed him to change the color. He ended up choosing yellow. Of course. Of course he would pull that move completely last minute.

And she was so close too!

Sky smirked at Cass when he only had one card left. “Uno.”

Cass frowned and glanced down at the cards in her hand. Well, she could always change the color again. She put the card down with no hesitation. She did hesitate, however, when it came to actually picking a color. She glanced up at Sky.

He had a smug look on his face, his own eyes just as calculating as her own. She tried to be subtle as she leaned over a little to try to sneak a peek at his card, but it was fruitless. Sky leaned back with a shake of his head, putting his last card to his chest. 

Her frown deepened considerably. Alright, so now it was a game of chance. Well, the odds were in her favor. There was a one-out-of-four chance that she would happen to pick whatever color the other male had. She ended up choosing the color that would work best in her own favor; red.

Well, at least she _thought_ it’d work best in her favor.

Sky placed his last card, a red five, down with a cheeky smile. “Uno… out.”

Cass’s eyes narrowed. “You fucking cheated! There’s no way.”

He put his hands up. “I didn’t cheat at all.”

She stood up with a roll of her eyes. “You’re putting the cards up, cheater. I’m going to the bathroom.”

Sky laughed, flipping Cass off behind her back. He gathered the cards together before putting them in their respectful box. It was odd how Cass always managed to brighten his day just by being her normal self. He only had to wait for another minute before she appeared. 

“You still up for monopoly?”

Sky shrugged. If she wanted to get her ass kicked in another game, then so be it.

“You’re on.”


	14. Don't Let Him In

“I need you to come over so we can talk about something.”

“Of course, but why can’t we talk about it over the phone?”

“I’d rather have you sitting in front of me.”

“Okay, when?”

“Now if that isn't too much trouble.”

“Is it important?”

Sky sighed, rubbing his temples with a sigh. “No, but I would really appreciate it if you came. To me, what I want to talk about is important and I want to do it face to face.”

“Alright. Be there in a few.”

“Thanks, bye.”

Sky hung up the phone call and set it down on the table in front of him. He put his head in his arms that rested on the table. There were two ways this conversation could go; a simple civilized talk as he hoped, or a full out argument. He waited patiently, for the meantime occupying himself with his phone. Around ten minutes later, the sound of knocking on his door was heard.

He stood to answer the door, smoothing out his clothes along the way there. He opened the door with a smile and a soft “hello”.

Chris leaned down to give him a kiss on his forehead, closing and locking the door behind him blindly. He leaned back up to remove his jacket and his shoes. “Hey, what’s up?” 

“I just wanna talk about something with you,” Sky muttered, leading his boyfriend into the living room by his arm.

The two of them took a seat on the couch, side by side. When Chris moved to put an arm around him, Sky shook his head with a blank expression. “Be serious.”

One of Chris’s eyebrows rose in confusion. “I am. What’s wrong?”

Sky sighed, pulling a couple of strands of hair out of his ponytail only to twirl the strands around his finger idly. He did this silently for a few moments before stopping suddenly and finally glancing up into Chris’s dark brown eyes. 

“I feel like I don’t know shit about you.”

Chris tilted his head to the side in thought. “What do you mean? You know plenty, and if you want to know anything, you can always ask.”

“No, I mean…” Sky paused with a sigh, trying to think of a better way to voice his concerns. “I don’t… understand you, I guess. You know how many times i’ve asked you how you are doing or what is going through your mind yet I always seem to get the exact same answers. It’s always “I’m fine” or some shit like that. I know you aren’t always fine.”

“If I say I’m fine, then I’m fine,” Chris protested. “Honestly, I don’t even understand what you’re talking about or where this is coming from. What even made you bring this up? Why does this matter?”

Sky shrugged. “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately. For example, the time your dad called you to go off at you about us—”

“I already apologized and explained the situation.” Chris put his head in his hands with a sigh. “I don’t get why we’re talking about this. You always seem like you’re ready to start some sort of argument about  _ anything _ .”

Sky flushed a light pink at the accusation. It wasn’t as if he was trying to start a fight but more so Sky trying to express how he truly felt on the situation. In his opinion, addressing it then was a thousand times better than addressing it later. 

“I don’t want to argue, Chris. I just want to talk. I just wish you’d be more open about things sometimes. At this point, when you say or do certain things, I can’t tell if you’re being honest about any of it. Like, you said you love me…” Sky trailed off, cupping Chris’s chin with a gentle hand to force him to look into his eyes. “Do you? What is love to you?”   


Chris pushed Sky’s hand away with a frown, but he still stared into his boyfriend’s eyes as he spoke. “Why the hell do you even feel the need to ask that? I’ve done plenty for you, been nothing but kind to you… What else do you want?”

Sky’s eyebrows rose in indignation at the snappy response. “And I haven’t done enough for you? You’re twisting my words around. I’m not trying to fucking make you feel less of yourself or any bullshit like that. I just want an honest to god answer.”

“What? You think I’ve just been lying to you all this time? Of course I love you. You’re my  _ soulmate _ .”

“Why do you keep using the excuse that we’re soulmates?” Sky questioned under his breath. It wasn’t exactly meant for Chris to hear, but he heard it anyways.

“It isn’t an excuse,” Chris argued. “The fact that we're soulmates should say enough.”

“The fact that someone is your soulmate doesn't immediately make you love them,” Sky pointed out with narrowed eyes that spoke of annoyance. “The only thing being soulmates guarantees is that there will be chemistry between the pair.”

Chris rubbed at his temples, finally breaking eye contact with Sky. Sky waited for his boyfriend to speak up but when a minute passed in silence, he decided to speak up himself.

“What?” Sky chided, “you're just going to ignore me now?”

Chris stared at Sky with a frown. “You're pissing me off.”

“Poor you.” Sky rolled his eyes. “With the way you constantly act, I wouldn’t think you even know what it means to be upset. At least you’re finally being honest about it.”

Chris stared at the blonde seated to the side of him with a blank expression.  He tried not to notice the way his shoulders slumped in what seemed to be exhaustion. He really tried, but damn. Sky’s apparent uncertainty was pulling at his heartstrings.

He sighed to himself. “Sky?”

“What—” Sky was suddenly cut off by a pair of lips being crushed insistently against his own. His hazel eyes widened. 

To say Sky was surprised was an understatement. He found himself debating against pushing him away and pulling him closer. His thoughts were short lived, as the other male’s kiss was too tempting for him to possibly resist. Sky kissed him back, only pulling away for a gasp of air and to whisper breathy words against Chris’s lips.

“You know this discussion isn't over...?”

“Of course,” Chris whispered with an unsure smile, leaning in slowly to give Sky time to move away. When he didn't, he connected their mouths once again.

His hands stroked through Sky’s hair as their mouths moved together softly, gently, in a show of passion. One of his hands moved lower to rest on Sky’s lower back, a finger subtly worming its way into the waistband of Sky’s jeans.

Sky pulled away slightly to stare into Chris’s eyes, suspicion written clear on his face.

“I'm not in the mood to fool around with you right now.” 

Chris hummed. “And why not?”

Sky pushed him back with a frown. “You're not taking me seriously. This is important to me.”

“I  _ am _ taking you seriously.”

“No, the fuck you’re not.” Sky’s frown deepened when Chris started to chuckle, the blonde standing up, fully prepared to leave. He was halted, however, when Chris got a hold of his wrist. Sky stared down at him with narrowed eyes. “Let go.”

Chris stood with Sky, reaching out his other hand to caress the side of Sky’s neck. He placed a gentle kiss to the blond’s nose. “I’m sorry. You don’t ever have to ask me if I truly love you, at least you shouldn’t have to. I love you, Sky. You mean everything to me and I need you to trust me when I say that.”

Sky sighed. “I just don’t get you sometimes…”

“I’ll do better,” Chris promised, raising Sky’s hand in his own to place a kiss to his knuckles. “I’ll… uh… leave you alone to think if you need it.” 

Sky watched as Chris made his way to the door, stopping to quickly tug his shoes on and to grab his jacket from the closet before turning back to him. He sent him a soft smile. “See you later, Sky.”

Sky nodded with tired eyes. “See you.”

Sky breathed out a sigh as the door shut behind Chris, moving to lock the door behind him. He turned around to lean against said door and ran a hand through his hair, releasing the blond strands from his ponytail. Honestly, having a boyfriend was beginning to be a huge hassle. What could he say, though? 

It was what he’d been dreaming of all along. The day he’d finally be with his soulmate. In the end, he’d seriously overlooked the challenge that came with his dream, however.

* * *

Trevor stared down at the sleeping brunette in his arms. She really was pretty. Her skin was a chocolate brown color, dark brown eyes shielded by closed eyelids and long, dark brown braids that covered her features from view as she shifted. He took notice of the beauty mark located to the left of her mouth. He never thought he’d be the type to find something as small as that attractive, but he only learned more about himself each day.

The ginger-haired male brushed her hair out of the way with a foreign gentleness. Foreign to himself, anyway. He wasn’t the type to show affection, not even when a situation clearly called for it. He just wasn’t that type of person. He didn’t even question it when she requested for him to act at least a little more chipper than his usual self upon meeting her friends. She didn’t want them to leave with a bad impression of him. While anyone else would be offended by the request, he was completely understanding.

He was completely aware of the fact that he just didn’t give off the best vibes.

Before finding his soulmate, he had been the type to never commit to anyone because he knew there wasn’t much he could give the other person. Trust? Nope, he’d lost most of his trust years prior. Affection? Ha, that was a funny joke. Trevor just didn’t do well with affection. He’d made a habit of near constant one night stands. It didn’t matter who it was. If they were attractive enough and had something to offer, he was always down. Just because he didn’t like exclusive relationships didn’t mean he didn’t like sex.

He startled slightly when the woman in his arms shifted again, Cass tightening her grip around his midsection. Trevor rubbed her back awkwardly. They lay that way together for a good while, Trevor just beginning to nod off when a loud banging sounded at the door. He had every intention of ignoring it, but there was only so much he could deal with and the pounding on the door was slowly but surely ruining his mood. His eyebrows furrowed when some sort of phrase was yelled. He didn’t catch exactly what the mystery person had said, but he understood well enough that the stranger’s tone of voice didn’t sound too happy. 

He shook Cass gently, mildly surprised she hadn’t woken up already. She blinked an eye open up at him, her eyes widening in surprise when she too heard the insistent knocking. 

“What the hell?”

“They’ve been knocking for a good two minutes now,” Trevor explained. “I was going to ignore it, but it might be important.”

“N-No…” Cass murmured, her eyes widened in what was… fear? “I think I know who it is. You can, um… stay here for a second. I’ll be right back.”

“What’s going on?”

Cass paused. “What? I just woke up, what makes you think I’d know?”

“You seem scared,” Trevor pressed, “Why? You have some sort of idea what the fuck is happening and I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me.”

Cass only frowned, leaning in to give him a peck on the lips and walking away. “I’ll be back.”

Despite her order, Trevor stood up to follow her. He wasn’t sure if she had mistaken him as some sort of coward, but there was no way in hell he was going to allow her to face whatever asshole was at the door by herself. He stood back as she opened the door, folding his arms across his chest as an unfamiliar face came into view.

“What the hell took you so long? It’s cold as fuck out there.”

“Ryan, why are you here?”

The man, Ryan, scoffed. “As if you don’t know. I need money. Money you keep promising me but I somehow never get.”

Trevor tilted his head to the side. “You can’t get a job yourself and make your own goddamn money? I don’t know who the fuck you are, but I think you should leave. Cassandra isn’t a fucking money tree.”

Ryan finally turned to stare at him with narrowed eyes that roamed up and down Trevor’s form before falling on his face again. “I don’t know who the fuck  _ you _ are, but I’m her brother. I don’t know who the hell you think you are where you can control who enters and exits Cassandra’s house.”

Trevor crossed his arms over his chest. “I know a douchebag when I see one. Fuck off.”

“I-it’s fine,” Cass stammered, trying to calm the situation down before it could get out of hand. “He’s right. I agreed to help him out financially—”

“And why would you do that?” Trevor questioned with piercing teal eyes that spoke of disappointment. “He’s old enough to provide for himself. Why would you allow yourself to be a walking doormat for people to step all over?”

Cass eyes widened at the blatant accusation. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Trevor stated sarcastically. “Tell me what’s  _ actually _ going on right now, then. I’ll wait.”

Cass’s face twisted in frustration. “Like he said, he’s my brother. He isn’t just some stranger who is forcing money out of me. He was let off a few years ago and just hasn’t been able to get back on his feet. I agreed I’d help him out.”

“Why the fuck are you spouting my business around?” Ryan exclaimed, waving his hands around. “Who the hell is he to you, anyway? Don’t tell me he’s your boyfriend, because there’s no way in hell he actually likes you. He’s probably just using you for your body or some shit. Not that it’s to die for or anything.”

Before Cass could respond Trevor spoke up for her, walking the few steps it took before he stood directly in front of Ryan. He stared down at the shorter male with piercing eyes that conveyed anger. 

“I’m her soulmate, dipshit. You can get the fuck out of here already because she isn’t giving you shit.”

Ryan pushed him back in annoyance, his eyes briefly falling to Trevor’s wrists in mild surprise before shooting up to stare the redhead in the eyes. “I’m not up for this  _ alpha male _ bullshit. You don’t own this house, so you don’t decide who stays or goes.”

Trevor’s eyes narrowed. “Watch me.”

Cass made a move to step in between the males, but even then the action seemed to be unsure. “Ryan… you should probably leave. Come back another ti—”

Before she could finish her sentence, she was shoved into the nearby counter, the corner of the appliance hitting her side. She let out a grunt of pain, holding her side as she glared up at the person who had pushed her. “Get the fuck out, Ryan.”

Ryan crossed his arms across his chest with a sneer. “Are you going to make me or is Sky gonna have to magically come to your rescue again?”

At the mention of Sky’s name, Trevor quickly thought of something. An extra hand wouldn't kill anyone, even if he believed he was perfectly capable of solving the situation himself. 

“Call him.”

“What?” Cass asked in confusion.

Trevor nodded toward her phone. “Call Sky, I’ve got this.”

Cass hesitated, but nodded after a moment. Trevor watched as she moved swiftly across the room to retrieve her phone from the table, all the while giving her brother a wary look. She dialed his number, holding the phone up to her ear and jumping slightly when Ryan scoffed.

“Are you actually serious right now? What the hell is Sky going to do for you guys? And you,” Ryan turned to Trevor, “you need backup? You can’t even defend yourself or your soulmate?”

Trevor only stared. “This is your last chance to leave and I suggest you use your brain and take it.”

“Keep up this bullshit and one of us might just end up in jail. Can’t say I’d be too bothered either way—”

“Fuck you.”

“Ouch. Sorry, but I don’t swing that way.”

Trevor groaned, turning to Cass with a look of exasperation. “You’re telling me this sarcastic piece of shit is your brother? How?”

Cass made a ‘be quiet’ motion with her finger, murmuring a phrase into the phone. “Sky… Ryan’s back again.”

Trevor tuned out her conversation, turning back to Ryan with a raised eyebrow. “Why are you still here? What about get out don’t you get?”

Ryan only laughed. “I’m family. She can’t just send me out.”

Trevor sent him a look. “What world do you live in? Yeah the fuck she can. It’s  _ her _ house.”

Ryan finally made a move, pushing Trevor back with a sneer. “Listen here, buddy. This is a family matter that doesn’t concern you. Either you fuck off to another room and let us talk, or  _ you  _ get the hell out of this house. Otherwise, I have no problem with teaching you your place.”

Trevor let out a huff of unamused laughter. “Go for it.”

Trevor was quick to react when Ryan finally threw a punch. He caught his fist, but still couldn’t help but to wince as the impact left his hand throbbing. He didn’t miss the yell from Cass in the background, either. He felt a rush of adrenaline, one he hadn’t felt in a good while.

When was the last time he felt the need to protect as much as he did now? 

* * *

Sky frowned as Cass began to rant through the phone. “Wait, Cass I need you to slow down a bit. What about your brother?”

“Sky, he’s here. He’s back again and I don’t know what to do.”

Sky’s eyes widened, the blonde standing up retrieve his keys without even thinking about it. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you did he?”

Cass’s voice was shaky on the other line. “No. Trevor’s here and I’m afraid he’ll hurt him. They’re only arguing right now, but it’s getting worse and Ryan won’t  _ leave _ .”

Sky pulled on his jacket and slipped his feet into his shoes before bolting out the door. “ _ Dammit _ . I’ll be there soon, okay? I’m sure the both of you will be fine.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt either, though.”

“I won’t,” Sky promised, even though he knew there was a good chance he wouldn’t be able to keep it. Just thinking about the last time made him shudder. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to get Ryan’s past threats out of his mind. 

They all sounded too real in his mind. While Sky didn’t consider himself the bravest person ever, he knew he was no weakling. Even then, every encounter with Ryan made him feel a certain fear. A fear he couldn’t exactly place. Was it for his friends? Maybe even himself? He honestly didn’t know. He only knew that looming fear was  _ there _ .

“Sky! They’re actually fighting now!” Cass yelled from the other line. There was some sort of shuffling on the other line, and then Sky heard Cass yell something briefly to her brother. “Ryan, god dammit! You don’t always have to do this! What is wrong with you?”

“Cass, listen to me.”

It took a moment, but soon enough there was a reply. “Yeah?”

“Don’t get involved this time,” Sky instructed, his breath getting heavier as he sprinted faster. Owning a car would have been useful right about then. “Stay out of it, please. I’ll be there as soon as I can, okay?”

“Y-Yeah… okay.”

“Great. Be there soon.” Sky pressed the red ‘end call’ button before hastily shoving his phone in his back pocket.

He could only pray to god Cass would be alright.

* * *

Trevor grunted in pain when Ryan’s next strike caught one of his piercings, the one on his lip, and tore the skin there. He felt blood trickle down his mouth, could taste the irony tang of the liquid. He wiped it off with the back of his hand, practically burning with anger at that point. His temper only worsened when Ryan laughed, actually fucking laughed directly in his face. 

“You little shit.”

Trevor threw a punch at the other male before he could even think about it, the blow landing perfectly on the side of his face. Ryan almost fell over with the force, thoroughly stunned for the moment. The ginger-haired male took that as a chance to push him up against a wall, his arm pressed against Ryan’s throat. As Ryan struggled to find breath from his effectively cut off air supply, Trevor turned around briefly to check on Cass. 

She stood a good seven feet away, a hand covering her mouth in fear. Her eyebrows were furrowed, his expression frustration, but it didn’t seem like she planned on interfering anytime soon. Good, he wouldn’t be too pleased if she got hurt.

The thought was cut off when Ryan, as a last solution, kneed him between the legs. Trevor’s eyes widened and he fell to his knees with a groan. He curled up on himself with a gasp, letting out another grunt when Ryan landed a kick to his stomach.

Ryan laughed, circling the male. “You look like a little bitch. You’re almost worse than Cassandra right about now.”

Cass ran forward to help her soulmate. She honestly couldn’t help it. While she understood perfectly clear what Sky instructed for her to do, how could she possibly ignore her soulmate’s pain? She felt it as if it were her own. 

Before she could get close enough to try to help at all, Ryan pushed her back with an all too familiar amount of force. The strength in the force made her lose her balance, the brunette falling to her back with a thud.

“Cass…” Trevor grit out, “don’t interfere. I’m fine.”

“Are you now?” Ryan asked with a smile. “I doesn’t look that way from this angle. Maybe I need to try harder.”

Everyone in the room perked up when a pounding sounded at the door. Cass didn’t even bother being cautious as she ran to the door and jerked it open, Sky being reveal on the other side. The blonde entered the home with raised eyebrows, the first sight that he was greeted with being Trevor sprawled on the the ground with Ryan standing over him. Trevor was bleeding, the red liquid seeming to be flowing from his mouth. 

Sky grimaced to himself, only imagining the pain Trevor must have been going through.

He turned a glare onto Ryan. “You piece of shit… Can you just leave?”

Ryan only rubbed at his forehead. “You know what? I’m tired of your shit, Skylar. I’m guessing you were never taught the meaning of the phrase ‘mind your own business’, huh? You’re always starting unnecessary shit.”

“Sky,” Trevor murmured, his breath ragged. “Call the police.”

“What?” Cass’s wide eyes fell on Trevor, and then on Sky. “No way. That’s out of the question. What would he be charged for, anyway? He hasn’t done anything!” Her voice was steadily rising and she knew it, but she couldn’t prevent it. “We can solve this ourselves! We don’t need to get the law involved!”

Trevor sent her a look. “Are you fucking kidding me? What do you mean he hasn’t done anything?”

“Trevor,” Sky said, “don’t talk to her like that.”

“No, fuck that.” Trevor turned back to Cass. His eyes softened, but his tone did not. “You need to fucking think, Cass. I don’t know what’s going through your mind but he has showed up uninvited, refused to leave, and then he hurt both you and me. And I’m under the impression this isn’t a one time situation.”

“What the hell? Seriously, the police?” Ryan scoffed. “What are they supposed to do?”

Trevor got to his feet with difficulty. “Sky, call the police.”

Sky’s eyes widened. “I-I can’t. Cass doesn’t want—”

“Who gives a shit? Don’t you want what’s best for her?”

“Sky, don’t listen to him. We talked about this last time. He’s my brother!”

“Do it.”

“Don’t listen to Trevor! He doesn’t understand but  _ you do _ . If you really wanted what’s best for me, you wouldn’t do it. We can figure everything out ourselves.”

“Do you want her to get hurt again? You can end this shit cycle right now.” Trevor gestured to the phone that was now within Sky’s clutch. “Call the fucking police, Sky!”

“You wouldn’t dare…” Cassandra said lowly as she watched Sky unlock his phone. “You guys don’t have the  _ right _ .”

“Hurry, Sky,” Trevor urged.

“I would never forgive you.”

For the first time in a long time, Sky felt lost. He knew the right decision, he always had, but he didn’t want to hurt Cass. She was like his sister, someone he cared about more than anyone else. Seeing her in pain hurt him to an unspeakable degree. But what was worst?

Physical pain or emotional pain?

His fingers trembled as his thumb moved to hover over the dial button.

Cass’s eyes widened. “Sky, don’t fucking do this… Me and Ryan will sort this whole thing out. It’s unnecessary. Think about what you’re doing.”

When Ryan started towards Sky in what seemed to be real panic, Trevor grabbed him and held him back, nodding at Sky with tired eyes.

“Do it.”

Sky pressed the nine button, glancing up at Cass who stood less than two feet away from him, her expression hurt.

“Sky, you wouldn’t…”

He clicked the one but before he could click it for a second time, Cass finally made a move. She pounced on the blonde, leaving them tumbling to the floor. She struggled to snatch the phone from her friend’s hand, tears streaming down her face.

“Don’t do it! It isn’t any of your business!”

Sky grunted with a frown when Cass accidentally elbowed him in the face. He made a grab for her arms and with a quick motion, he had their positions flipped so Cass lay beneath him. He pinned her arms above her head with one hand as he finally made the call.

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

Sky struggled to find his words as Cass thrashed beneath him. He held her arms tighter, sure that there would probably be some marks left later, but he had no other choice. While everything felt so insanely wrong it him, he knew it was right.

He always had.

“Sky…” Cass sobbed, finally laying still. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”   


“Sky, hang up the call!” Ryan yelled, trying to struggled out of Trevor’s grip. “I didn’t do anything! I never do anything, it’s always you!”

“Hello, are you there?”   


“Uh...yeah. I’m calling to report physical abuse.”

* * *

Sky watched with blurry eyes as a handcuffed Ryan was placed in the back of a police car, the male’s face blotted with tears. He had tried his hardest to convince the police of how innocent he was and how he hadn’t done a thing. Even though Trevor was a living piece of evidence, he still tried. That scary part was Sky thought Ryan might have actually believed it. 

Cass stood at his side, and it worried him of how silent she was. Where she had been screaming and crying earlier, now she stood silent, her expression hardened. She looked angry and Sky feared he knew who it was directed at.

As soon as the police drove away, she turned to Sky. “Leave.”

“Cass—”

“Leave! Or are you going to pull another Ryan?” She turned to Trevor. “When he goes berserk are you gonna demand for me to call the police, too, or will you do it yourself?”

Sky understand Cass was angry, not to mention emotionally hurt, but that didn’t change the fact of how morally wrong her words were. “You can’t be fucking serious, Cass. Don’t compare me to him. I’m only trying to help you.”

“Well, I didn’t need your help, Skylar !”

“You called me—”

“And now I see how much of a mistake that was!” Cass retorted. “You know, you always want to pretend to be the good guy and as if you could do no wrong, but you’re just a coward. You pretend to be independent but you’re  _ nothing _ without a shoulder to cry on. Now could you please  _ leave _ ?”

Sky didn’t even bother responding, he just turned around and walked away. He tried to ignore the wetness on his cheeks, but he knew it was there. He wiped it away, jumping when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and glanced up only to see Trevor staring down at him.

“It’s okay, Sky. You know she’s just angry.”

Sky looked away, his face warming up in embarrassment. “I know.”

“You did the right thing, don’t ever think otherwise.”

“I know. It just doesn’t fucking  _ feel _ right.”

“I get it.” Trevor paused, removing his hand from Sky’s shoulder to scratch at the back of his neck. “I’ll uh… stay here with Cassandra for a bit to make sure she’s alright. You don’t have to worry about her. Also, maybe you guys shouldn’t talk for a while. Give it some time.”

“Yeah, okay.” Sky gave him a thumbs up. “Thanks.” 

“You’re a good guy, Sky.”

Sky glanced up at Trevor. “You aren’t so bad yourself. Thanks for looking out for her, by the way. I should get going, though.”

“Alright. Take care, Sky.”

“You too.”

* * *

Sky pressed his face into a familiar warm neck, breathing in the scent of the male beneath him. He pressed a kiss to the warm flesh, feeling Chris tighten his grip around him. 

He had explained the whole story to the male, mostly just because he needed someone to lean on at that moment, but Chris had listened intently. The raven told him the same thing Trevor had except, somehow, it sounded better on his lips. Chris had told him that nothing Cass had said was true. That Sky and Cassandra would eventually make up and everything would go back to the way it was. He told him he’d done the right thing and that Cassandra would figure that out soon enough.

Sky felt his breath hitch, burying his face deeper in the crook of Chris’s neck as a tremor ran through him. Chris rubbed his back slowly, comfortingly, and pressed a kiss it his forehead. 

“It’s okay. I’m here.” He ran a gentle hand through Sky’s hair. “I’ll always be here for you.”


	15. My Rhythm And Blues

Despite the previous day’s events, the next morning was peaceful. Once Chris awoke, however, he was mildly confused, as his brain was still clouded from just waking up. Where there should have been someone beside him, his bed was empty. The covers were pulled up in a way that made it seem like Sky had tried to fix the bed a bit. 

He smiled to himself, for the moment just lying awake and staring at the bland white ceiling above him. Even while considering the events that occurred the day prior, he almost felt relieved. Sure, he felt a certain amount of sympathy for both Sky and Cass, but he knew they would eventually get past their grief and realize Sky’s actions had been for the better.

Speaking of Sky, Chris jumped when he heard the clanking of some sort of object hitting the ground followed by the sound of a hissed curse. Chris finally made a move to get up, pushing off the side of the bed and making his way through the halls with tired, heavy steps.

“Sky?” he called out, running a hand through his already mussed hair. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m in the kitchen.”

Chris turned a corner, standing in the entrance of the kitchen and smiling as he watched Sky maneuver around. It looked like he was preparing breakfast for the both of them and Chris appreciated the effort. He moved to stand behind him, wrapping his arms around Sky from behind and pressing his chest to the blonde’s back.

“What are you making?”   


“Nothing too extravagant,” Sky replied, leaning his head back on Chris’s shoulder. “Just eggs, sausage and some biscuits. I figured I should return the favor.”

“How are you feeling?”

Sky let out a sigh, prying Chris’s hands off of his waist so he could turn around and face him. He stared into Chris’s eyes for a moment, reaching up to stroke one of his eyebrows with his thumb before pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “I’m fine. Thanks for letting me stay the night even though I was such a bother to you earlier. ”

“Don’t worry about it, and you weren’t a bother. You just wanted to speak your mind and I’m glad you’re being honest with me. I guess I just don’t like being talked down on,” Chris explained with a shrug. “You can stay here for however long you need and you’re welcome here anytime, okay? Now that I think about it, I have something for you. Just give me a moment.”

 Chris pulled away, making his way back to his bedroom to retrieve a small white box from his top drawer. He made his way back to Sky with enthusiasm, an almost unnoticeable pep in his step. He took one of Sky’s hands in his own and placed the box into his palm. “I bought this for you some time ago. I just never got the chance to actually give it to you.”

Sky slowly pulled off the top to the box and smiled when he saw the contents. It was a small golden key and to say it looked impressive was an understatement. He grabbed the key between his thumb and index finger, turning it to get a better look at it. 

He smiled up at Chris with warm eyes, his next words a faint whisper. “Thank you…”

“You’re truly welcome anytime so don’t ever feel like you're imposing. It doesn’t matter if I’m here or not. Think of this apartment as if it belongs to the both of us from now on.” Chris leaned in to kiss his boyfriend, caressing the side of Sky’s neck as their lips moved together slowly. His hand located on the small of Sky’s back trailed lower and he was slightly disappointed when Sky pulled away.

“I should probably get back to cooking unless you’re in favor of your apartment burning down.”

Chris nodded, tracing Sky's bottom lip with a finger before pulling away hesitantly. “Yeah, alright.”

He moved to sit at the kitchen island as he watched Sky prepare their meals. He couldn’t help but notice how swiftly Sky moved, familiar with the contents of every drawer and every cabinet as if he’d lived there his whole life. Chris had to wonder if maybe Sky would be willing to move in with him one day and one day soon. 

In his mind, the whole idea seemed ludicrous. Sure, they were close. They’d been through good times and the worst, so maybe… just maybe he could eventually convince Sky to stay with him. His soulmate had already been given a key and not to mention the fact that nowadays, he stayed at Chris’s place more often than his own, so maybe Sky would be fine with it.

He could only hope.

After a few minutes, Sky was occupied plating their food. The raven-headed male didn’t miss it when Sky gave him a noticeably larger portion than himself. He didn’t bother questioning what that was about, assuming that Sky probably just didn’t have that much of an appetite at the moment. Or maybe, what had occurred yesterday was affecting him a little more than Chris had originally thought and a little more than Sky wanted to let on.

They ate together in comfortable silence. Chris watched his soulmate scroll through something on his phone, his expression relatively neutral. He wasn’t really bothering with eating. He’d take a small bite maybe here and there, but that was as far as that went. 

“Sky?”

Either the blonde didn’t hear him or he was ignoring him. Chris wanted to believe it was the former. He kicked Sky’s foot under the table, Sky looking up from his phone to give him a look.

“Ow. What the hell?”

Chris ignored the comment, reaching across the table to grab his boyfriend’s phone out of his hand. He glanced at the bright screen briefly before setting the electronic down on the table beside his plate of unfinished food. He looked back up to stare at Sky with a blank expression. “Can you come here?”

“Why?” Sky questioned, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back lazily in his chair. “I’m literally right across from you. If you want to say something, you can say it from over there.”   


“I want you here, though,” Chris urged, patting his left thigh. “Please?”   


Sky shook his head but didn’t even bother arguing; it wasn’t as if that had ever gotten them anywhere, anyways. He stood up and took his seat on Chris’s lap dutifully, for the moment, forgetting about his plate of barely touched food. He straddled the other male so he was facing him, both of Sky’s legs on either side of Chris’s thighs. He placed his hands on the raven’s shoulder for better balance.

“Satisfied?” he whispered, his breath soft against Chris’s lips.   


“Very,” Chris whispered back. He cupped the sides of Sky’s neck, leaning in to gently dab his lips against the other male’s before speaking. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what happened yesterday? It could be about anything. The conversation we had yesterday, any personal feelings, the incident with Ryan…” he trailed off, waiting for a response from Sky.

Sky stared down at him silently for a period of time, his expression for the most part cold, before he spoke up some seconds later. “I don’t want to talk anymore than I have to. Actually, I’d rather forget about everything that happened yesterday for now if I could. I was hoping you could help me with that…”

Chris felt his heart jump at the statement but chose not to get his hopes up just yet. “And how could I assist you with that?”

Sky ducked his head almost unsurely, but his next words remained firm. “Are you up for sex right now? I don’t mean one round of making love, either. I mean…  _ sex _ .”

Well,  _ there _ was the statement he had been hoping for. Chris felt his face warm slightly and the raven-haired male chuckled under his breath. “The way you talk, it’s as if you’ve been sexually active for years. You’re so comfortable about it...”

“Is that a problem?” Sky murmured, now trailing soft kisses along Chris’s jaw lazily. 

“Of course not.” Chris hummed and let his eyes slip shut when Sky began to nibble at a patch of sensitive skin on the left side of his neck. “I… love your confidence. In all honesty, though, I was beginning to wonder if your sex drive was basically nonexistent. ”

Sky gave pause at that statement, his face flushing. He cleared his throat before responding. “I have a healthy sex drive, I just don’t like to be the one bringing this sort of thing up all the time. It feels kinda… wrong, I guess.”

“Wrong as in dirty?” Chris questioned out of curiosity, stroking the blonde’s back. When Sky didn’t immediately have a response, Chris spoke up again. “You shouldn’t feel wrong about having sex. You’re a twenty-three year old male who has a normal libido, so what? If you’re ever in the mood, just tell me. You know I’d never say no.”

Sky laughed, his face at this point a bright red. “I feel like a horny teenager again. Sorry… I probably fucked up the mood, huh?”

“Not at all…” Chris cupped the back of Sky’s head and pulled him closer, connecting his lips with the other male’s hastily. His other hand trailed lower to rest on the blonde’s hip, stroking along the inside of his thigh before eventually meeting with the growing bulge of Sky’s crotch. 

Sky hummed into his soulmate’s mouth when he felt Chris beginning to unbutton his jeans and heard the sound of his zipper. The blonde’s fingers made a path through locks of raven hair, gasping when Chris nibbled teasingly at his bottom lip. As much as he didn’t want to, he halted Chris when his hand began to trail into his briefs and made contact with a certain now hard and twitching organ.

“Not here,” he whispered against kiss-swollen lips seductively. He was beginning to feel a little too hot and he wanted more. No, scratch that, he  _ needed _ more. In his own desperation, he ground himself against one of Chris’s thighs with a relieved sigh, his eyebrows drawn together as he murmured his next words. “Let’s take this to the bedroom, yeah?”

Chris smiled at him, his face flushed with passion. “Let’s.”

* * *

“Cass—”

“Fuck off. I don’t even know why the hell you’re still here.”

Trevor only rolled his eyes. Cass lay on the couch facing the television and seeming to be completely keen on ignoring his existence. He sat on the floor to the side of the couch, as there was no room for him due to the fact that Cass had made a point of stretching all the way across the sofa. 

“You’re being immature.”

Cass reached for the remote located on the coffee table in front of her only to turn the sound on the television up higher. Trevor grimaced, tempted to just grant her wish and leave her alone, but he had a feeling that wasn’t truly what she wanted. After all, she could have easily kicked him out herself. Ever since Ryan was taken away the day before, she’d spent the rest of the day watching movies curled up on the couch snuggled in a thick, cotton blanket. She had only gotten up to grab some snacks or use the bathroom, but besides that, she remained unmoving. 

To say Trevor was irritated was an understatement. He was almost starting to feel bad, and that just wasn’t like him. He was beginning to have doubts. Was it right for him to have intervened in such a personal family matter? He didn’t know much about Cass’s family, didn’t feel like he needed to, but when he heard how Ryan spoke to her, the way he  _ treated _ her, he saw red.

Maybe he wasn’t thinking as clearly as he’d thought he was?

He reasoned it didn’t matter, as the decision had already been made. For now, he didn’t care if Cass was angry at him because he knew she’d come to her senses sooner or later. What did bother him, however, was her anger towards Sky. He couldn’t help but to feel as if he’d put a huge dent in such a strong friendship. 

He still thought the decision he made was right, but maybe it wasn’t his decision to make?  
He moved to sit in front of Cass, inevitably blocking her view of the screen. Her breath hitched and she shut her eyes tight. Trevor cupped the side of her face and wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb. He was surprised at the action, as he hadn’t thought about it. His hand had moved before he could even comprehend why. Cass’s dark lashes were wet with tears that wanted to fall, but were held back.

“Cass,” Trevor whispered, pushing her hair back from her face. “I need you to talk to me…”

“What's there to talk about?” she murmured, her voice shaky. “What's done is done.”

“You don't want to get any feelings out?”

Cass’s eyes finally opened and it was heartbreaking. Though she looked straight at him, she remained unseeing. Her eyes were void of any emotion save for sadness and grief. Suddenly, Trevor’s heart hurt and he couldn't comprehend why.

Why Cass was suddenly making him feel so very different in the skin he'd worn practically his entire life.

“Why did you guys do that?” she whispered, the words so soft Trevor almost missed them. “I get why you'd think it was for the best, but Sky…He knew.”

“Knew what?” Trevor pressed, rubbing gentle circles into the side of Cass’s face with his thumb. The action was simple, yet so very comforting.

“Trevor… Ryan wasn't always like that. He used to be so kind and gentle. One day when I was younger, I was standing outside in the middle of the night waiting for my parents to pick me up from my choir concert. It was cold and I was scared and alone. Ryan went out of his way to pick me up on foot, around a thirty minute walk, and the first thing he told me was that I was safe. That I would _always_ be safe as long as he was around. He even gave me a piggyback ride home despite how fatigued he was and he never _once_ complained. The smile on his face that day never went away for even a _second_ , and I’ve never been able to forget it.”

“Everything was fine for a while, but he grew up with hatred. I'd always had a decent relationship with my parents but he… didn't. He slowly started to hate me and I could see why. He just wanted to be accepted, and I think the only reason he kept coming around was to be around someone. To feel like someone powerful or  _ important _ .”

“That doesn't excuse anything he did, Cass.”

“I know,” she whispered, “but I understood him; something you could never do because you don't  _ know _ him.”

Trevor paused, thinking. After a few seconds he spoke up, his words quiet and uncertain. “Actually, I think I do… Even if only a little bit.”

“You know him?”

“Understand him,” Trevor clarified before continuing. “You don’t know much about my family situation, do you?”

“Not a thing,” Cass agreed with a nod, sitting up in interest. “You rarely talk to me about anything personal.”

Trevor nodded absently. “Yeah, well, my childhood was kind of fucked up so I saw no point in bringing it up before, but I guess now I have a reason to. I no longer have any sort of contact with my younger sister, Penny, because she grew up to become a drug addict. I don’t know when she started, but I can guess why. She didn’t get along with our parents like me and my brothers did and it was because she would slack off and her grades were always poor. She was treated differently which wasn’t right, but in my opinion, that doesn’t excuse any of her actions. Maybe drugs were her escape… I don’t know. I just know she would become a pushy and violent bitch whenever she got her hands on some…”

“You don’t feel sorry for her?”   


“ _ No _ , Cass. I shouldn’t have to. Who cares if our parents were dicks to her? She always had me and my two youngest brothers. She made a dumb decision that fucked up her own life, not mine.”

Cass nodded slowly. “I just feel like Ryan could have gotten back on track. Your sister’s addiction to drugs would have been difficult to reverse, but Ryan was just angry. Anger goes away.”

“For most, but not all,” Trevor pointed out. He leaned up to press his lips softly to Cass’s forehead. “I need you to be strong. I thought calling the police would have been the best solution, and maybe I shouldn’t have called the shots, but I did. Sky only followed. He didn’t want to see you get hurt anymore just as much as I don’t.”

“I know…” her breath hitched and she began to sob. “I shouldn’t have said what I said to him. I was just  _ so angry _ …”

“It’s okay,” Trevor whispered in hopes of comfort. “He knows.”

“I care about him more than I care about anything. He’s like my only family at this point.”

“He knows…”

“I hope he does.” The two were silent for some time, Trevor trying his hardest to provide what little comfort he could and Cass trying to calm herself down. When she figured she could speak again without getting hysterical, she did. “Do you think they’ll let him off with a restraining order?”

Trevor gave pause but quickly caught himself. He nodded slowly. “Let’s hope.”

Trevor watched with tired eyes as Cass gave a slight smile and closed her eyes. He stroked her hair and watched as her breaths eventually began to slow and even out. She fell asleep rather quickly, most likely due to all the stress she’d been going through as of late. The ginger-haired male gently pried the television remote from her hands before turning the volume down. Afterwards, he searched for Cass’s phone.

He had a random urge to speak with Sky and Chris that he couldn’t place, but he rarely second guessed himself, so he did. He searched through Cass’s contacts before clicking the call button upon seeing the blonde’s name. The first time, he didn’t answer. He called again and, while it took a while, eventually a familiar voice sounded on the other line.

* * *

Sky reached for his phone, his heart jumping in his chest when he read the caller ID. He answered quickly before it went to voicemail, his tone hopeful. “Cass?”

“Hey, Sky. It’s Trevor.”

Sky let out a shaky sigh, running his hands through blonde hair that was dampened with sweat. “What’s up? Cass’s okay, right? Nothing happened?”

“No, everything’s fine. She’s actually sleeping right now.”

“So what’s the problem?” Sky asked, gasping sharply when a certain raven-haired male’s mouth latched onto a patch of skin on the inside of his thigh and began to suck there.

There was a brief pause on the other line. “Are you okay? You sound like you just ran a fucking marathon.”

“Y-yeah,” Sky answered, his face flushing when Chris smirked up at him cheekily. He pulled the phone away from his ear to murmur something to him. “Quit it. Aren’t you satisfied yet?”

“Are you? Because honestly, I think I can go another round if you can.”

Sky grimaced. “We’ve already gone three.”

“One more?” Chris practically pleaded, still nestled between his bare thighs, rubbing patterns into the soft skin with his fingers. 

Sky was quick to notice his soulmate’s hands trailing closer and closer to his nether regions and he shook his head. “I’m on the phone with Trevor. Just give me a moment.” He put his phone back up to his ear, watching Chris warily as he spoke.

“Sorry about that. I had to take care of something.”

“Something or someone?” Trevor questioned on the other line skeptically.

Sky’s skin flushed a deeper shade of red if that was even possible. “Just tell me what you want.”

“Well, actually, I was wondering if I could speak with Chris. It shouldn’t take long.”

Sky frowned. “What for?”

“Don’t worry about it, Sky. I just have a question to ask.”

Sky stared at Chris in confusion for a few seconds before shrugging. “Fine.” 

He handed his phone over to Chris, shrugging when Chris sent him a questioning glance. He didn’t know what Trevor planned to talk to Chris about, but whatever it was, he hoped it wouldn’t cause any more problems between the two. While he had found their feuding amusing initially, he hoped they would soon make up. It would cause Sky and Cass less problems, that was for sure. 

“Yeah?” Chris murmured into the phone, sitting back on his heels.

“This is Chris, right?”

“Yes,” Chris confirmed. “What did you want?”

There was a tired sigh on the other line. “How are you and Sky doing? I’m assuming he told you what happened with Cass’s brother, right?”   


Chris glanced over at his soulmate. He honestly didn’t know what to answer for him. He supposed he was doing as good as he could be. “Yeah, Sky told me. We’re both doing fine, thanks for asking. How are you and Cass?”

“I'm fine, but Cass’s still… heartbroken. I think she’ll be doing better in a few days or so. We still have a whole lot to sort out with the Ryan situation.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah… Well, anyway, take care of Sky. And…” Trevor let out an exhausted sigh, “I apologize for what happened during the picnic. I still don’t necessarily like you, but you’re not as bad of a guy as I thought you were, or wanted to  _ believe  _ you were, anyway. Don’t take it personally.”

Chris shrugged. “How could I? The feeling’s mutual.”

Trevor huffed out a few breaths of laughter, a quiet sound. “Alright. Take care, Christopher.”

“You, too.”

Chris hung up the phone and handed it back to Sky. He moved to hover over the blonde, pressing a quick kiss to his mouth and stroking his ear with his thumb. 

“Let’s take a shower and get to sleep,” Chris suggested, his tone soft.

Sky rose an eyebrow. “I thought you were game for another round?”

Chris only smiled, his eyes warm. “You could use some rest.”


	16. Special Occasion Of Being Alive

Chris let his fingers weave patterns through Sky’s hair as their lips moved together lazily. He wasn’t even sure if Sky was fully awake yet and somehow, it didn’t matter. If felt good to be so close to one another. So  _ right _ as it always had. He smiled when Sky whispered a phase that had become familiar with him against his lips.

“I love you…”

Each time Sky said the phrase, it managed to make him feel warm, welcomed and  _ loved _ . It was unlike the feelings he had experienced with past girlfriends because when the words fell off of his soulmate’s lips, they felt real. Every time Chris replied, he knew he meant it with his very soul. He would truly do anything for the male that lay flush against him, his soulmate’s bare body warm against his own.

“I love you too, Sky.”

Chris was dumbstruck, however, at Sky’s next words.

“And I’m sorry…”

Chris pulled away to stare Sky in the eye, but the other male refused any sort of eye contact. It wasn’t like Sky. Chris knew from the months he’d spent around the other male that he was by no means shy, that Sky approached most things head on. Chris’s next words we’re cautious, as he wasn’t sure of the response he would get in return.

“About what?”   


Sky let of a breath, pressing his lips to Chris’s collar bone before speaking up in a quiet voice. “About a shit ton if I’m being honest. I can’t help but to think about some of the things I’ve said to you in the past or some of my actions. I just want you to know I’m sorry for anything I’ve ever done that has hurt you in some shape or form, okay?”

Chris nodded in understanding. “You shouldn’t feel bad about stuff that happened in the past. Besides, you always apologize when you realize you’re in the wrong. It’s fine.”

“It’s really not,” Sky disagreed, shifting to look up into dark brown eyes. “ A change in time doesn’t change what happened . I just hope you don’t take some of my actions seriously. I really do care about you, and I think you’re an amazing person.”

“Just like you,” Chris murmured. “We’ve both made our fair share of mistakes, and I think that’s fine as long as none of them are repeated.”

“I'm going to have to leave for work soon, you know?”

Chris nodded. “I know. You need a change of clothes, right? You can borrow some of mine if you want.”

Sky shook his head. “That’s fine. They’d probably be too big, anyway. I know you’ll have to leave soon, yourself, but I was hoping you’d accompany me back to my place. We still have some time, right?”   


“Plenty,” Chris agreed. “Once you get off of work do you think you’d be in the mood to go out with me? It’s been a while since we’ve been on a real, not disastrous, date.”

Sky smiled, a genuinely pleased expression. Chris felt like it’d been forever since he’d seen one of those and couldn’t help it as his face warmed slightly. Chris smiled back when Sky kissed the palm of one of his hands and whispered his answer against the skin.

“Of course.”

* * *

They left out some time later once Chris finished dressing himself. That left Chris with plenty of time to do whatever he wanted to do before work and Sky with just enough time to get ready, himself. It took a while, way longer than usual, even, for Sky to get his clothes on. Chris was just so touchy-feeling, and Sky couldn’t say he minded. He liked the close proximity and even found himself wanting more. He wanted to be as close to Chris as possible and it was such a new feeling, it scared him. 

Yet, he welcomed the feeling with open arms.

Chris had pushed for him to wear something nice and Sky complied even though he couldn’t begin to understand why. He settled with a simple button up shirt and some slacks and prayed his clothing wouldn’t be ruined by the end of his work day.

Chris ended up driving him to work which couldn’t have worked better for Sky considering he was already so close to running late.

“If I’m late, you owe me,” Sky stated, examining himself in the car mirror and fixing his hair. “There’s only so many times I can be blatantly irresponsible without getting fired.”

“You won’t get fired.”

“And you know this how?”

Chris laughed, turning to Sky briefly before turning his gaze back on the road. “If you did get fired, you would have nothing to worry about. I’d take care of you.”

Sky scoffed. “You say this as if you have all the money in the world.”

“I’d gladly put your happiness over my own. I don’t need all the money in the world.”

Sky nodded with a slight smirk, checking his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed as they neared his work place. “If you don’t mind me asking, how much money do you make, anyway? You don’t talk much about your job.”

“That’s because I don’t necessarily like it. It’s boring and the only reason I still work there is for the amount of money I bring in. I make a decent amount for living on my own; around sixty thousand dollars annually.”

“Damn,” Sky whispered. “I make nowhere near that amount…”

“But at least you like your job,” Chris pointed out, reaching across to pat Sky on the thigh. “I rather enjoy what I do for a living and make less money than hate what I do and make more.”

"Fair enough," Sky replied as he rested his hand on Chris's. They remained silent once Chris arrived. Only as he pulled up to the entrance to let Sky out did Sky speak up. "Do you think you could pick me later?"

Chris thought about that. Sky got off of work around an hour earlier, meaning it'd probably be better if he walked home rather than having to wait so long. At the same time, he rather give Sky a lift rather than have him walking home alone. Just because he'd been doing it for years didn't make it any less unsafe.

"Yeah," Chris agreed, leaning over to kiss Sky on the forehead briefly. He decided he'd take off a little earlier. It was no harm done, and he also had a date that evening to prepare for. He smiled at Sky. "Have a great day at work."

Sky got out without a word after that, and Chris couldn't help but laugh when he noticed the way the blonde's face flushed. 

"So cute..." Chris murmured to himself as he began to make his way to work before he was late, himself. 

* * *

Later that afternoon, Sky waited by the window, searching for a certain car when a familiar presence walked up behind him. 

"Was he your boyfriend?"

Sky turned to his coworker; a male, a little bit younger than him, with slicked back dark hair, olive colored skin, and a freckle-covered face that made him look younger than he actually was. “Who?"

Morgan set his broom to the side, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall with a look of disbelief. "The Asian guy that drove you over here this morning."

Sky frowned. "How do you know he's Asian?"

Morgan shrugged with a grin. "He looks Asian, that's all. So, was he your boyfriend or not?"

"Why does this matter to you?"

"I'm just wondering. In the few years I've known you, I've never seen you with a girlfriend or boyfriend. It's odd. You're relatively good looking and you've got a decent personality—"

"Decent?" Sky questioned with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, decent. You can be mean, alright?" Morgan rolled his eyes, clearly becoming irritated. "I'm gonna ask one more time. Was that guy your boyfriend or not? I saw him kiss you and I saw you blush. I've never seen you blush before, either."

"What's stopping me from just ignoring you right now?"

"Your kind soul..."

"I thought I was mean?"

"Sky!" Morgan whined. "Quit fucking around already and quit answering my questions with more fucking questions! Are you?"

Sky laughed at the man. He was never one to have relationships with his coworkers outside of work, but that didn't mean he was any less close to them. If he wasn't, he would have told Morgan to fuck off from the beginning, but he was a friend and just a dumb teenager trying to get by in life. 

Sky smiled at him, patting him on the shoulder in a rare show of affection. "His name is Chris. He's my soulmate."

Morgan's eyes widened. He stood there gaping for a moment in surprise before finally getting some words out. "W-Wait. He isn't just some guy? He's your  _ soulmate _ ?"

Sky nodded. "And my boyfriend... obviously."

"Shit... that's so cool... Have you fucked him yet?"

"Okay," Sky said with furrowed eyebrows, "that's a bit too personal."

"I'm just wondering if what my friends said was true."

"And what was that?"

"Sex with your soulmate feels way better than with some ordinary person."

Sky thought about that. Well, it did make sense and it might also explain why his first time wasn't as painful as people have lead him to believe it would be. At the end of the day, he would never truly know the answer to that and he told Morgan this much.

"I wouldn't know. He's the only person I've ever had sex with."

"Damn, Sky. How do you do it?" Morgan teased with a chuckle, playfully pushing at his shoulder. "Are you waiting for him right now?"

"Yes."

"Can I meet him?"

"Fuck, no."

Morgan shrugged, picking up the broom he'd set down earlier to continue his work. "Whatever you say, Sky."

Sky wasn’t left waiting for long beyond that point, Chris pulling up around three minutes later. At that point, Sky could admit he was getting a little bit worried. He was already in the process of pulling out his phone to call his soulmate even as he tried to convince himself that everything was fine. Chris got out of work later than him, he knew that, but he still couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to all the wrong places.

Thankfully, he no longer had to worry, as Chris was walking through the door before he could even think to meet him at the car. His soulmate pulled him into a quick hug and pressed a kiss to his forehead that, for the second time that day, had a heavy blush spreading across his face. He wasn’t used to the public displays of affection from his soulmate. He wasn’t sure if he would ever be, and he wasn’t sure where Chris’s sudden boldness was coming from. Maybe he was finally becoming more comfortable in his own skin?

“Here we go again,” Sky muttered with a roll of his eyes when Morgan appeared around the corner just as the two of them were about to head out.

“Just the man I was hoping to meet.” Morgan grinned as he waltzed up to Chris and held out a hand which the raven shook dubiously. The teen’s eyes slightly widened when he noticed his glowing wrists but he neglected to comment on that matter. “Skylar’s soulmate. I’m Morgan, also known as the bane of Sky’s existence. Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Chris,” he said with a raised eyebrow and a confused look in the blonde’s direction. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“Bye, Morgan,” said Sky as he practically shoved Chris out of the door. 

“You’re as rude as ever, Skylar!” Morgan called after him with a shake of his head and an amused laugh.

By the time they were in the car, the flush across Sky’s face hadn’t lessened. Chris turned to stare at him briefly as he pulled out of the parking lot in confusion only for a grin to break out across his face once he realized exactly what was going on.

“You know, you used to be irritated when I wouldn’t return your public displays of affection,” he pointed out, “and now that the tables have turned, you’re embarrassed about it?”

“Morgan’s an asshole,” Sky murmured despite acknowledging the statement did nothing to answer Chris’s question. Instead, he chose to change the subject. “So… why were you so late?”

“I had to prepare for the date we’re going on. Did you forget?”

“Of course not.” Sky leaned against the window and watched as the sun began to dip below the horizon and illuminated their surroundings in a beautiful, rich glow. He never realized how enchanting the sunset could be. He barely even took notice of it in all his twenty-three years of living. “Where are you taking me?”

“Can’t it be a surprise?” Chris asked. “The more unexpected the moment, the sweeter it will be.”

“You and surprises don’t tend to mix well,” Sky teased.

“That was one time.”

“Once was enough.”

Chris rolled his eyes and reached across to brush his hand against Sky’s before their fingers interlocked. “Just trust me, okay?”

“No problem,” Sky nodded, giving his hand a squeeze. “I trust you.”

* * *

The first event of the night consisted of an expensive dinner. Apparently, Chris had the forethought to make a reservation an entire week in advance. The thought was sweet even though Sky was considerably more nervous than he was willing to let on. It also explained why Chris had directed for him to dress the way he had. Thankfully, the restaurant didn’t have a strict dress code and his simple button up, white shirt and black slacks passed.

He’d never been to a high class restaurant before and he wasn’t sure what to expect. Of course, he had his own perceptions of how the night was going to play out and admittedly, a lot of those perceptions weren’t positive. Thankfully, his intuitions were proven incorrect and dinner proved to be a blast.

The night was spent with lighthearted conversation and stuffing himself on flavorsome food. After Chris paid the bill, Sky was surprised to find out that that wasn’t how Chris planned to end the night. His soulmate ended up driving him a considerable distance out of town. He was just beginning to doze off when the car finally stopped and he realized where their final destination was.

“The beach?” Sky asked over a yawn.

Chris nodded. “I thought it’d be nice. I’ve never been to the beach before but I’d always wanted to go as a kid.”

“I’ve never been to the beach, either.”

“I brought some blankets, some wine, and a flashlight.” Chris unbuckled his seat belt and turned around in his seat to grab a bag. “Ready to go?”

“You feel like carrying me?” Sky asked as more of a joke than anything.

“Sure,” Chris shrugged. “We can piggyback.”

“So,” Sky began as the two of them got out of the car. Chris knelt down so Sky could climb on his back as promised and handed the blonde the bag he’d brought. “I hope this isn’t an attempt at cliche beach sex.”

“Would it be a problem if it was?” 

“Considering I don’t want sand up my ass,” Sky tugged at a strand of his soulmate’s hair pointedly, “yes.”

“Well, no.” Chris’s feet trudged through the pale sand and his dark eyes watched as the moon’s light reflected off of the rippling water. “I thought we could just… exist, for a moment. You know? Just lay here and talk while we watch the waves.”

“That’s—” Sky cut himself off, at a loss for words. “That’s… really sweet, actually. Is there any particular reason?”

“Does it really need to be a special occasion to celebrate living and being with the people in your life that matter the most?”

“I’d say that in itself is quite special, Chris.” Sky removed himself from Chris’s back once his soulmate finally stopped. The blonde wrapped his arms around him from behind and leaned up to press a kiss to the shell of his ear. “ _ You’re  _ special.”

Chris grinned and grabbed the bag from Sky’s hand to begin to set up the blanket. “I’m flattered. I can also say the same for you.”

As soon as he finished setting everything up, a blanket spread out upon the sand and a bottle of wine resting on said blanket, Chris moved to sit cross legged on the soft cloth and patted the spot beside him which Sky gladly took. 

They were positioned facing the water, the moon creating a white shine across it. Chris pulled Sky closer so the blonde’s head was resting on his shoulder.

“Do you drink?” Chris asked, making a grab for the bottle of wine and moving to open it. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I only brought this in case you did.”

Chris down a few gulps straight from the bottle and gently poured some of the beverage into his soulmate’s mouth when Sky tilted his head back to allow him to do so. The two of them gave a hearty laugh when some of the liquid didn’t quite make it and instead trailed down the corner of Sky’s lips. Chris wiped it away with his thumb and leaned in to place a kiss to Sky’s forehead.

The raven took another quick drink before setting the bottle elsewhere and attempting to get comfortable laid across the blanket. He took Sky’s hand in his own as he asked, “lay with me?”

Sky was quick to do just that. They laid side by side, hand to hand, as they stared up into the starry night sky. Everything was so quiet and peaceful. All there was to do was stare and marvel at what beauty the night could entail. The warm air hugged both of them all over. It was comforting in the way a mother’s touch was as a child, but nothing was more comforting than simply being within each other’s presence.

Safe and sound.

Simply  _ existing  _ in what was a moment that they were sure would touch both of their hearts forever.

Sky let his eyes shut and breathed in the ocean air with a satisfied smile as Chris did the same. Exhaustion caught up with Chris first and Sky moved closer so his head was resting on his soulmate’s chest. He, too, was about to let sleep take him when he abruptly received an anonymous text.

As his eyes scanned the message, the hazel orbs began to grow wider and his breath hitched.

There was no way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I'm sorta just uploading chapters randomly now since I keep forgetting to upload on this website, lol. I'm still debating with myself if I want to just go ahead and upload the rest of the chapters or keep my supposed "schedule". We'll see!


	17. Solace

Chris watched as Sky pulled out his phone for the one hundredth time that day to check for a message that wasn’t even there before quietly murmuring a few select obscenities under his breath that the blonde probably thought he couldn’t hear. The problem was that he  _ could _ in fact hear and sense Sky’s clear frustration and it bothered him beyond belief. Instead of prying for information like he so badly wanted to do, he attempted to put his own patience to the test and wait for Sky to tell him what was up, himself.

As the hours wore on, however, he was starting to think that explanation would never come. Hours turned to days quickly and Sky’s unease only began to get steadily worse which didn’t exactly make Chris feel too great, himself. All he knew about the situation was that it had started maybe a week prior sometime around their date at the beach, and the blonde hadn’t been the same since.

“Is it about Cassandra?” Chris finally asked. They were eating dinner together at Chris’s apartment as was becoming the usual. What  _ wasn’t  _ usual was the way Sky’s gaze suddenly went oddly blank, and the blonde’s mind temporarily took a trip to another universe.

“What?” Sky tugged a rather large section of hair from his ponytail and began to twirl it around his finger idly. He let loose a soft sigh, his eyes currently on the table so he didn’t have to look Chris in the eyes. The eyes that were undoubtedly concerned. “I’m sorry. I’ve been… distracted.”

“I can tell.” Chris pushed his plate to the side. “I asked you if it has something to do with Cassandra. You guys haven’t exactly made up yet, have you?”

Sky paused and looked decidedly surprised to have come to that particular realization, himself. “Oh… No. No, it’s not about Cass. I really should try to get in contact with her, though.”

Chris’s brow furrowed. Had Sky forgotten about his fight with Cassandra that easily? It wasn’t like him. Not even remotely.

“Why haven’t you talked to her already?”

“I was waiting for her to contact me, first. I thought giving her the space she needed was the best option, but it  _ has  _ been a while.”

“You have a habit of thinking that,” Chris teased. “I’m starting to think you have some weird fear of being rejected.”

“Not true,” Sky suddenly snapped. The blonde’s eyes narrowed in irritation, but he continued to direct his gaze elsewhere instead of turning his frustration onto Chris. “I couldn’t give less of a shit what people think of me.”

“I was only joking, Sky—”

“I know.” Sky pushed away from the table to stand and, without a word, began to walk away in the direction of the bedroom. 

Chris frowned. “Skylar.”

“I’m not hungry,” Sky replied simply. “I’m gonna head to bed.”

Chris watched as his soulmate disappeared around the corner and then turned to glance at his plate of food that he couldn’t have taken nothing more than a bite of. The raven placed Sky’s plate in the refrigerator in case he happened to want it later before trashing his own and taking care of the dishes.

He returned to the bedroom and hurriedly began to strip out of his clothes so he could lay beside his soulmate who was, not surprisingly, scrolling through something on his phone. Chris moved to curl up to the side of the blonde and tried to see to the best of his ability just what in the hell was on that small phone screen that had Sky so bothered.

He didn’t speak even when Sky tried to subtly tilt the screen away from his prying eyes. He simply let the blonde have his privacy even though it worried him in ways he’d never imagined. 

Chris rested his head on Sky’s chest and let out a small sigh of relief when he felt his soulmate rake his fingers through his hair comfortingly. He simply laid awake and waited until Sky was finished doing whatever he was doing. Not even five minutes later, the blonde sat his phone on the nightstand to the side of them and shifted to pull Chris closer against him even though he was already as close as he was going to get.

“I’m sorry,” Sky whispered into Chris’s mused, onyx locks.

“It’s okay.”

“I love you, Chris.”

Chris sighed at the utter _warmth_ that rushed through him at that simple phrase.  “I love you, too.”

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” Sky asked, pulling his hair into a ponytail before leaning down to pull on his shoes. “I wouldn’t mind the walk. Cassandra’s place isn’t far.”

“It’s fine.” Chris handed over Sky’s jacket and shrugged on his own. “I have nothing better to do, and I haven’t seen Cass in a while. I’d like to see how she’s doing, and as an extra bonus, I need to have a few words with Trevor, too.”

Sky paused at his last statement and sent him a curious look. “Kind words?”

“Of course,” Chris chuckled. “You don’t think I’d accompany you just to ruin your time with Cassandra, do you?”

“It’s not like that would be the first time.”

“That doesn’t count. Trevor was being an asshole.”

Sky laughed a bit. “Whatever you say, Chris.”

They left out soon after, and the ride was relatively short. Oddly enough, Sky didn’t find himself the slightest bit nervous to see Cassandra again despite them having not made up yet. He’d known Cassandra for a good portion of his life. She had become more like family to him than just some friend, and he knew family fought but were sure to make up, eventually.

Besides, it wasn’t like that was the first time him and Cassandra had gotten into a fight. Sure, most of their fights in the past had been petty things like what movie to see or what food to order out. They sure as hell had never gotten into a fight about Sky calling the police on one of her family members or vice versa.

Sky found himself wincing at the past decision. The more he thought about it, the more he seemed to regret it. He knew he shouldn’t. He understood that no matter the consequences that had ensued, the decision had already been made and there was no going back to change said decision. 

It was a choice he would just have to live with.

As he walked up to her front door, he couldn’t help but to think of how quiet it seemed. How utterly  _ peaceful _ it was. Normally, when he visited, he felt a certain level of discomfort due to the things that had occurred in the place and what  _ could  _ occur at her home at any given moment. Now, the aura surrounding the structure had changed.

It felt so  _ tranquil _ .

Sky gently pressed a finger to the doorbell and waited. Chris stood just behind him silently. The raven hadn’t spoken a word since they had gotten in the car, and even though Sky had no idea why, he could admit to being grateful for the given silence. The silence made it easier for Sky to think and to think  _ rationally _ .

Maybe it was thanks to that and Chris’s presence that helped him feel so utterly  _ calm  _ despite the tense circumstances.

When the door finally opened, it wasn’t who Sky expected on the other side of the door.

Trevor sent a simple nod to the both of them. “Hey.”

“Is Cass here?” Sky asked, attempting to peer around from where Trevor just barely had the door cracked open.

“Yeah,” Trevor whispered. “She’s sleeping right now so don’t make a ton of noise.”

“Probably wouldn’t matter if we did,” Sky scoffed. “She’ll practically sleep through anything.”

A slight smirk made itself present on Trevor’s face. “I’ve noticed. Come in.”

The two of them followed after Trevor into the living room where Chris took a seat on the couch and Sky immediately moved in the direction of Cassandra’s bedroom. 

“So…” Trevor started, sending a dubious look in the raven’s direction. “What’re you doing here? I’m guessing you didn’t just come to give me the silent treatment again.”

Chris thought through his words in his head for a moment before finally speaking. “We haven’t talked since we graduated high school, and we’ve been feuding with one another since before then.”

“What’s your point?”

Chris gave a single shoulder shrug. “I was just thinking that if there’s a good time to talk about it, it would be now.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Trevor cocked an eyebrow. “We didn’t get along then, and we still don’t get along now.”

Chris frowned. “If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to—”

“No, I’m fine with talking.” Trevor moved to sit on the opposite side of the couch and leaned his head onto the back of it. “If I’m being honest, that’s probably the most mature sounding shit I’ve heard you say in years.”

“Well, you haven’t  _ seen  _ me in years.”

“No need to get defensive.” The red-head rolled his eyes and Chris had to attempt to calm his growing frustration at how condescending Trevor’s words and actions were. “Take the compliment for what it is.”

“If this is going to work,” Chris said, “then you’re going to need to talk to me. Not  _ at  _ me and not  _ down  _ on me.”

“Fair enough,” Trevor shrugged. He peered at Chris from the corner of his eye. “You know, at some point in high school, I had a bit of a crush on you.”

The admission was so sudden and so random, Chris had to take a moment to truly process the words for what they were. When he finally managed to do so, the blush that lit up on his face was almost as fiercely embarrassing as the way he stumbled on his words.

“W-What?”

Trevor laughed, actually  _ laughed _ , and turned to regard Chris with a smirk. “I’ve always thought you were attractive. Maybe you were a bit of an impulsive idiot, but I had thought that was something I could easily deal with if it meant I could get you in my bed.”

Of all the conversations Chris expected them to have, it definitely wasn’t that.

“Trevor—”

“The only thing that stopped me from going after you was the fact that you were so obviously into girls exclusively.” Trevor continued on, aware of Chris’s embarrassment but not caring enough to stop. “And then, I see you again after all these years with a soulmate that happens to be a man, and you can only imagine how surprised I was. It was even more surprising than the fact my soulmate was so closely connected with my former best friend’s soulmate.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Chris attempted to joke. “You need to work on not appearing like an emotionless droid before you end up scaring Cassandra away.”

Trevor simply shrugged, letting his eyes shut with a tired sigh. “I don’t know how it got this bad between us.”

“Well, it started with you being more of an asshole than what was usual at the time.”

“You could look at it that way,” Trevor muttered, “or you can look at it from my perspective. We became friends in the first place because you were entertaining to hang around, and you weren’t scared to have fun. You weren’t scared to sneak out in the middle of the night or to down a few beers despite the potential consequences. Initially, I liked that about you. It was… refreshing.”

“But then, time passed.  _ Years _ passed, and you stayed the same while I changed. Eventually, being around you became irritating. I found myself thinking of how childish you were and of the stupid decisions you were constantly making.” Trevor ran a hand through his hair. “I had to go home to an alcoholic, abusive father and a mother that enabled his bullshit and protected him as if he were a saint while he tore my siblings and I apart night by night emotionally. I saw how those seemingly innocent decisions could seriously fuck up your life, and it pissed me off. It pissed me off how you never took any of it seriously and how I had been the same at some point.”

“I guess…” Trevor sighed. “When I see you now, I can’t help but to see you as I saw you then. I can’t help but to see you as a reckless asshole that kisses your parent’s ass as if it’s all you’ve ever known how to do.”

Chris found himself at a loss for words. He felt uncomfortable, like there wasn’t truly anything he could say that would make anything better. He was self aware in a way Trevor had always somehow managed to make him.

“I wish I’d known all of this back then,” Chris settled with saying.

“Bet you do,” Trevor muttered, the words holding no real malice behind them. “My father passed away from alcohol poisoning shortly after graduation, and after that… I was so sure I never wanted to see you again. I never wanted to see you or any of the rest of my family because it was just… easier. Every second feels like a ticking time bomb for the next shitty thing in my life to blow up in my face. I’m still waiting for my sister to inevitably croak due to her habits—”

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” Chris interrupted, his tone firm and his face red but for an entirely different reason than before. “And I’m sorry for bringing her up on the double date. That was wrong of me, and if I could take it back, I would. I would take a lot of shit back if I had the opportunity.”

“I would only hate you more if you did,” Trevor said, his eyes uncharacteristically soft when he opened them once more. “All the dumbass shit you’ve done in the past is what’s made you who you are now.  As much as I hate to admit it, you’re a decent guy now despite your past fuck ups. That should be something you’re proud of.  _ Everyone _ eventually goes under, but not everyone is able to resurface again.”

Chris smiled at that, his eyes a bit watery. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Trevor joked. “Now,  _ please  _ tell me you’re satisfied with the conversation we just had, because that just might be the most uncomfortable shit I’ve ever had to do in my entire life.”

Chris laughed at the man. He felt as if a brick had been lifted from his chest that he’d never known was even there. It was refreshing.

“I’m more than satisfied.”

* * *

 

 

Sky gently shook Cassandra’s shoulder. “Cass?”

The brunette stirred and a few seconds later, her eyes fluttered open. At first, she only stared and Sky stared back. Sky was unsure. He had no idea where the impromptu staring match was going and what was going through Cassandra’s head, but thankfully, he wasn’t left wondering for long.

Cassandra shot out of the bed and lunged to wrap Sky in a tight hug that almost managed to upset both of their balances.

“You’re actually here,” she murmured into his shoulder. Her grip tightened. “I missed you so damn much, Sky. Why didn’t you call me?”

A small smile stretched its way across the blonde’s face.

“Why didn’t you call me?” he rebuked. 

“I—” She cut herself off, pulling away from Sky to make eye contact. “I thought you were mad at me. I guess I was just nervous…”

“Why would I be mad at you?” Sky asked, genuinely confused. 

“I was a complete asshole to you and all because you made a hard decision that you believed would keep me safe. I shouldn’t have said any of the shit I said to you. It was just the heat of the moment and I guess I—”

Cassandra’s words trailed off when Sky let out a laugh as if her words were the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. He shook his head at her, the smile on his face never lessening. “I honestly will never get you sometimes.”

Cassandra’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“You don’t have to apologize to me. You shouldn’t have to.”

“But—”

“No apologies,” Sky interrupted again. 

Cassandra sighed. “I just want you to know I didn’t mean a single thing I said. You are the strongest, bravest person I’ve ever known. If anything, what you did that day proved that to me more than anything else, even if I was too much of an idiot to see that in the spur of the moment. Thank you, Sky, for making the decision I was too much of a coward to make myself.”

“You weren’t a coward,” Sky reassured. He paused, thinking of the proper way to phrase his next question. “If you don’t mind me asking… how did that situation play out? What… happened to Ryan?”

“Restraining order,” Cassandra happily answered. “And he’s being treated for a number of mental issues I don’t want to get into.”

Sky sent a hesitant smile back. “That’s good.”

“Better than good.” Cassandra pulled him into another tight hug. “I can’t thank you enough, Sky.”

“That’s not necessary—”

“I mean it, Sky,” Cassandra whispered. “I owe you.”

“Thanks,” Sky said, “for forgiving me.”

“No, Sky. Thank  _ you _ , love.”

* * *

“That went surprisingly well,” Sky said, stepping into the bedroom with a towel around his waist and dripping wet hair.

“Tell me about it,” Chris laughed, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“Something wrong?” Sky asked, hastily pulling on some briefs as he watched the raven from the corner of his eye. “You seem tense.”

He couldn't even begin to imagine why. As he’d said, everything had gone as well as it could, and they had both managed to find solace with their friends. The two of them had even hung out at Cass’s place for some time following the exchange. Chris had gotten to talk with Cassandra, and Sky had gotten to get to know Trevor better. Sky and Cassandra had even gotten to learn more about Trevor and Chris’s past together as friends and some of their many idiotic adventures.

“We’ve gotten an invitation,” Chris said.

“What does that mean?”

“My parents…” Chris trailed off, scrolling through what looked like texts from where Sky stood. “They invited us over for dinner tomorrow. My parents said they want to get to know you more.”

Sky’s eyes widened in surprise at the statement.

_ Seriously _ ?


	18. Locked Or Protected

Sky let out an exhausted but satisfied sigh from above Chris, rolling to the side of the man to catch his breath. He found himself thinking he could get used to that despite the annoyance he felt at feeling so tired despite having just woken up. On the other hand, it was surprisingly comforting to hold and be held by his soulmate every morning.

“Nice,” Chris panted, and Sky would have scoffed at the comment if it weren’t for the fact that something equally unromantic left his mouth a second later.

“We’ve got to stop doing this in the morning.”

“Hm?” Chris peeked at Sky from under the arm covering his eyes. “Why?”

“After everything is said and done and the high has passed, I always feel like I’m on the verge of passing out,” Sky explained. “It’s not all that bad now since it’s the weekend, but other days, it can be the most frustrating thing ever.”

Chris laughed and reach out to squeeze his soulmate’s exposed thigh. “I thought you liked morning sex?”

“Well, I don’t  _hate_ it,” Sky shrugged. “Especially not in the heat of the moment.”

“I know. It’s not like you’re fooling anyone,” Chris teased. “Especially considering you’re usually the one initiating the entire thing. Even more so lately. What’s that about? You finally getting comfortable?”

Sky hated the way Chris’s teasing always successfully caused his face to heat up in embarrassment. He turned away so it wasn’t as obvious as he murmured, “not true.”

“It’s not like I’m complaining.” Sky felt Chris curl up to his side so their skin was completely pressed together. Not even a second later did he feel his soulmate insistently mouthing at the crook of the blonde’s neck. “You’re not all  _that_ tired, are you?”

“Why?” Sky smirked. “Not satisfied yet?”

“I’m never satisfied when it comes to you.” Chris moved to straddle him, and Sky only laughed before said laughter turned into a quiet groan at the feeling of Chris pressed against him so intimately. The raven scooted back a bit to maneuver his soulmate’s leg so it was draped over his shoulder and leaned forward to whisper against Sky’s lips. “Besides…”

Sky’s hand came to rest on Chris’s shoulder before trailing down his back lovingly. He pulled Chris’s bottom lip between his teeth before pulling back to stare the man in the eyes with a seductive gaze. “Yeah?”

Chris smirked, positioning himself accordingly.

“It’s my turn now.”

* * *

Later that night, Sky fretted over what to wear and, simply put, what to do with himself while Chris only watched in amusement. The blonde was nervous as was both expected and warranted. Chris was just as anxious if he were being honest with himself, but the difference was, he knew how to manage and control his emotions while Sky poured out  _exactly_ how he felt with a refreshing sort of honesty.

“Not funny, asshole.” The comment along with Sky’s glare was so sudden that it managed to leave Chris blinking in surprise. “They’re your parents. You should know them better than anyone, so what should I wear? Casual or formal?”

“Stop overthinking it.”

“Stop  _underthinking_ it,” Sky replied, running a hand through his messy hair that he hadn’t even pulled up yet into his signature ponytail. “In case you forgot, I didn’t exactly get off on the right foot with your parents, and I’m trying to make up for it.”

“My mother has no problem with you. It’s my dad you’re trying to impress.”

“I know,” Sky snapped, “and it’d be nice if you would fucking help me out with that. You have shit to make up for, too.”

Chris wasn’t all that surprised by the bitterness in Sky’s tone, nor did it particularly bother him. He was accustomed to how his soulmate got whenever put under a lot of stress. The blonde tended to break down when put under pressure, but in an entirely different way than most.

Instead of hiding from the problem at hand or crying in an open show of distress, Sky tended to get this weird sort of adrenaline boost. At that point, it seemed as if Sky was running more on irritation and anger than anything else. To say pressure got to the man would be an understatement, but Sky still tended to approach his problems head on.

Chris liked that about him.

Sky threw a pillow his way and hadn’t intended for Chris to catch it judging by the frown on his face when the raven managed to do just that. “So what? You’re just going to sit there?”

Chris grinned in amusement and leaned back on his elbows from his place on the bed. “Just throw on whatever and let’s go, Sky. You’re going to make us late.”

Sky only stood there and crossed his arms over his chest. At that point, Chris was genuinely worried about pushing Sky a little bit too far and ending up having to cancel on dinner due to spending the rest of the night arguing with his peeved soulmate, so he finally made a move.

He grabbed a ponytail holder from atop his dresser and moved to stand behind Sky. He raked his fingers through the locks to get them out of his face and as neat as possible before tying his hair back to the best of his ability.

“Casual,” Chris whispered, kissing the top of his boyfriend’s hair. “Wear what you want to wear. My parents aren’t going to care about your appearance. They’re going to care about  _you_.”

Sky sighed, pulling away from Chris to make his way to the closet that once held Chris’s clothes alone but now held some of Sky’s, as well. “Sorry.”

Chris waved the apology off. “No need to apologize. I kinda like seeing you fret.”

Sky shook his head at the comment, but Chris didn’t miss the near silent huff of laughter that escaped the blonde’s lips. “I take my apology back, then, jackass.”

Chris watched as his soulmate pulled his shirt over his head to reveal his surprisingly toned back before throwing on another. His eyes roamed over the faded scratch marks marrying his soulmate’s back and the faded hickeys on his shoulders and the nape of his neck. “You’re very attractive, you know?”

Sky full out laughed at the random comment, and Chris felt his face warm in slight embarrassment. The blonde turned around just enough to cock an eyebrow at Chris. “Oh, really? Nice to know.”

“You know you could just take the compliment, right?”

“But where’s the fun in that?”

Chris rolled his eyes and made a grab for his keys before saying, “I’m gonna be waiting for you in the car. Don’t take forever.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

* * *

The ride wasn’t as long as Sky thought it’d be, and he found himself slightly upset at that fact. It’d taken no more than half an hour for the two of them to come to a stop in front of an admittedly beautiful ranch. The soft yellow of the exterior along with the many trees and shrubs surrounding the home gave him a comforting feel just  _looking_ at the place.

Chris turned to glance at Sky worryingly, chewing at his bottom lip, himself. “Ready to go in?”

Sky nodded immediately. “As ready as ever.”

Before he could climb out of the car, Chris grabbed him by the wrist. Sky waited in question for the raven to say whatever he had to say. He hoped that whatever it was, it would be quick, because his nerves were honestly starting to get the best of him, and it would only get worse the longer they dragged the exchange out.

“Whatever happens in there,” Chris began, “and I mean  _whatever_ , promise me you won’t get too… emotional. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what he thinks, okay? I need you to remember that. Even if complete nonsense comes out of his mouth, no  _fuck yous_ or whatever the hell else. He’s my dad, Sky.”

“Yeah,” Sky felt himself blush, “I promise.”

“I love you,” Chris whispered, interlocking their fingers. “And that won’t change no matter what he says in there. You’re mine and I’m yours, and I wouldn’t change that for the world, Sky.”

“I love you, too,” Sky whispered back. He began to feel guilt creeping up on him, because despite what he’d initially thought, Chris was just as nervous about the whole thing as he was. His soulmate was scared, and he sympathized with it because he had some semblance on how Chris was probably feeling due to personal experience.

The two of them walked up to the door side by side, and Chris ended up taking the initiative to knock on the door. It didn’t take long at all for the two of them to hear movement on the other side of the door. Seconds later, the door was swung open, and on the other side stood a thin woman with soft green eyes and long, brown hair. Sky almost had a hard time believing Chris was anything related to her, because they looked absolutely  _nothing_ alike.

The woman pulled Chris in for a hug before either one of them could get a word out.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in years,” she whispered, her eyes closed as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair fondly. “I’ve missed you. I’m half tempted to hit you upside the head for neglecting to visit me for so long.”

Chris chuckled, leaning into her embrace. “Sorry, mom.”

She pulled away and took a small step back. Her gaze wandered to Sky and at first, she only stared, and Sky stared back. He was at a loss for words. It was suddenly so difficult to think of the correct thing to say, but some part in the back of his mind reminded him he hadn’t even gotten to greet the woman yet, so he did just that.

Before he could get the words out, however, the woman pulled him into a sudden tight embrace. Sky’s breath caught in surprise at the affection, and he hesitantly moved to return the hug. He looked to Chris nervously when he felt the woman start to tremble against him, but Chris only shrugged with a smile.

“H-Hi, ma’am,” Sky stuttered and inwardly cursed himself for it a second later.

Why in the world did he suddenly feel so insanely nervous?

She released the blonde and smiled kindly, her eyes seeming to twinkle with unshed tears.

She laughed a bit. “You’re just as short as Chris said you were.”

Sky cocked an eyebrow in Chris’s direction and couldn’t help but laugh, himself, when Chris once again shrugged, his face gaining a slight tinge of pink.

“Forgive me,” the woman said, rubbing at her eyes with her index fingers. Despite her words, the smile never left her face. “You can call me Margarette.”

Sky nodded with a smile of his own. “Skylar Young. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

“Oh, you don’t have to bother with any sort of script,” Margarette chastened. “I promise you I don’t bite. This is my second time talking to you and my first time seeing you in person, and I already feel like I’ve known you my entire life. God, I still can’t believe you’re my son’s soulmate despite the living proof being directly in front of my eyes.”

Said green eyes were trained on Sky’s glowing wrists as she said the last bit.

Chris put an arm around Sky’s shoulder and pulled the blonde closer to him when a gust of wind sent the three of them shivering. Sky was surprised at the action, and it must have showed because Margarette’s eyes softened almost sadly, and Chris gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

“Follow me,” Margarette said. “Dinner’s already ready. I just have to get it plated.”

“Thank you,” Sky said, following her inside and sighing at the warmth that encompassed him immediately. The house’s interior was rather simplistic but nice all the same. He noticed a theme of floral patterns here and there and could only assume Margarette had more to do with that than Chris’s father.

Speaking of his soulmate’s father, he began to wonder where the man was. Chris beat him to questioning his mother on the matter, though.

“Where’s dad?”

“He’s not hiding from the two of you if that’s what you’re thinking,” Margarette sighed, gesturing for the pair to sit at the table as soon as they reached the dining room. “You know how your dad is. He decided he wanted to shave last second, and he’s currently busy with finishing that up. He should be out soon, though.”

Sky took a seat beside Chris and watched as Margarette exited the room to make their plates. He took the opportunity for what it was and turned to his soulmate to ask, “how are you feeling?”

Chris shrugged again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. “As good as I can be. What about you? You okay?”

“I’m great.” Sky watched as Chris picked at his nails and tapped his foot repeatedly against the floor without even realizing it. He leaned in to dab his lips against the raven’s, thought better of it, and instead caressed Chris’s jawline with a gentle hand. “Are you sure you aren’t nervous?”

“Why would I be nervous?” Chris asked, and if they weren’t supposed to be having a civilized dinner at Chris’s parent’s home, Sky might have hit him in the arm for the obvious avoidance of his question.

“You fucking know why. Did you suddenly forget all the shit that went down before—”

“As foul mouthed as ever, Skylar.”

Sky’s heart jumped in his chest at the familiar voice, and it took everything within him not to glare at Chris’s father who now stood across the room from them.

“I apologize,” Sky murmured. “I didn’t notice you enter the room.”

“Don’t apologize for something you don’t have to apologize for.” The man crossed the room to greet his son with a pat on the back. He turned to stare at Sky with a teasing smile. “Especially if you don’t mean it.”

Chris smiled at his father, but his foot had yet to cease its insistent tapping. “Hey, dad.”

“Christopher,” the man nodded. He once again turned his attention on Sky who was now having trouble knowing exactly what to think and say. “I’ve never gotten to actually introduce myself to you. It’s Kenji.”

Sky nodded, his eyes trained on the table in front of him. “You already know who I am.”

The tension was so thick, Sky was sure it couldn’t even be cut with a chainsaw. Kenji frowned a bit to himself and moved to sit across from Chris. For some time, the room was enveloped in silence with the exception of dishes clanging in the kitchen.

“Christopher,” Kenji said, attempting to start up a conversation. “How have you been as of late?”

“I’ve been fine.”

Kenji shook his head in amusement at the hasty reply. “I don’t know why I always expect a different answer from you. You’ve been giving me and your mother that very same answer since you hit puberty without fail. You’d think I’d be used to how closed off you can be by now.”

“Maybe I’m like this because I’m not used to having someone to talk to about my feelings,” Chris muttered, his eyes downcast. The statement and his actions were so briefly honest that both Kenji and Sky paused in surprise. The raven was quick to attempt to retract the statement, though. “Sorry. That didn’t come out the way it was meant to.”

Kenji was still stunned into silence even when Margarette finally returned to set everyone’s plates in front of them. She’d prepared some roast, greens, potatoes and some cornbread, and Sky would have told her how delicious it looked and smelled if he weren’t so utterly distracted by the words that’d just left his soulmate’s mouth.

Margarette analysed everyone in the room in a futile attempt to see what had every single one of them so uncomfortable but quickly gave up. She took a seat next to her husband and grinned at Sky who now sat across from her.

“I’m truly glad you’ve decided to visit us, Skylar,” she said. “I’m glad you’ve decided to give both of us a second chance for any of what happened in the past.”

“You have nothing to try to make up for,” Sky reassured and Kenji didn’t miss the fact the blonde had been referring to Margarette and Margarette alone.

“I’m sorry,” Kenji sighed, his soft gaze locked with intense, hazel eyes. “I shouldn’t have done what I did, and I acknowledge that now. That was wrong, and I have no good excuse for any of my behavior.” He turned to Chris. “And Christopher, my one and only son, I need you to know I love you. I’m always going to love and support you no matter who you choose to spend the rest of your life with.”

“As am I,” Margarette said with a nod of agreement.

“Now that my vision isn’t so foggy from dangerous prejudices, I can see something I wasn’t able to see before.” Kenji’s gaze lowered, and he let out a deep exhale. “I can see that Skylar is a damned good match for you, son.”

Sky’s heart spiked in his chest, but for an entirely different reason than before.

“Skylar, you have heart and a shit ton of it.” Kenji chuckled a bit to himself. “You stuck up for my son and you guy’s relationship like a mother would stick up for her child. It was… touching, how much you cared about my son’s happiness and seemed to put it in front of your own, even. At the time, I hated it. I hated the way you acted because it only continued to prove me wrong.”

“I grew up in a very traditional household. A household in which I was taught there was a very specific way to do things and that was it. I guess I hated the two of you together, not because I actually thought it was wrong, but more so because I  _wanted_ it to be wrong. I wanted to believe that what I’d been taught my entire life wasn’t wrong. There wasn’t a second where my heart truly told that tale, though.”

“Soulmates or not, I’ve always been a firm believer of the fact that everyone deserves a choice in the matter,” Kenji continued to explain. “I never liked the idea of being bound to a single person just because they were my  _fated one_. I’m grateful for that mindset, because it’s the only reason I currently stand by Margarette today.”

Sky’s face twisted in confusion, and his eyes trailed to glance at both Margarette’s and Kenji’s wrists. Both of their wrists glowed.

“But your wrists—” he started to say but was interrupted by Margarette.

“Both of our wrists glow for another,” she explained, reaching to grab her husband’s hand lovingly. “We’ve been together since highschool. We both found our soulmates in college, but our hearts were already full with no room for another. Neither one of us are in contact with our soulmates too often nowadays.”

“You make that sound so simple,” Chris laughed, and Sky was glad to see the smile on the raven’s face. “When I first met Sky it was physically hard being away from him. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

“Young love,” Margarette excused, her eyes bright. “And your first time truly being in love. That might have less to do with your bond as soulmates than you might think.”

“Furthermore,” Kenji continued with a shaky sigh, “I hated the idea of how you’d be treated by society simply for loving someone, and that hurt like hell. From the moment you were born, all I ever wanted was to see you happy, Christopher. In all honesty, I still can’t help but to think of that particular issue, but now that I see you two together again, it’s easier to see how happy you are, and I already know from experience that Skylar will always have your back. Hate from some ignorant strangers shouldn’t matter. I guess… while I was busy worrying, I became the type of person I was so worried about you encountering.”

“People will hate you for all sorts of reasons,” Sky murmured. “Some warranted, some not. Human nature is funny like that. It’s so much easier to hate than to love. I learned that years ago.”

“You’re a bright fellow,” Margarette complimented. “You’re easily respectable, and I’m glad you’ve become a part of both Chris’s life and ours.”

“Thank you, Skylar,” Kenji nodded. “Thank you for caring for and loving our son. Thank you for being there for him when he needs it and we can’t. I’m truly sorry for any distress I may have caused, and I hope that you can one day forgive me.”

Sky smiled, and he was glad to say it was completely genuine. “Thank you for inviting me over for dinner today and having this talk with me in person. I’m grateful.”

Chris smiled, too. “Thanks, dad.”

“You shouldn’t have to thank me for being a father and hopefully,” he turned to stare at Sky with a raised eyebrow, “a future father-in-law.”

Sky’s face lit up until it was bright red, and if that weren’t already embarrassing enough, the entire Moore family laughed at his reaction.

“Alright, no more teasing Skylar,” Margarette snickered. “Let’s dig into our meals before they get any colder than they’ve probably already gotten.”

Dinner went rather smoothly beyond that point. Margarette and Kenji told stories of Chris’s childhood, a lot of which Sky already knew, but it was nice hearing the stories from another perspective. They asked him a bit about his own life and what he did for work which he readily answered. The conversation flew smoothly from topic to topic until they found themselves discussing something Chris and Sky hadn’t thought they’d be discussing for a long while.

“What do you guys think about having children?” Margarette asked, oblivious to how uncomfortable the question instantly made both of them. “I mean, obviously you can’t have biological children of your own, but what about adoption? Can you guys see yourselves adopting in the future?”

Chris’s gaze became oddly blank. “I’ve never thought about that.”

“Me neither,” Skylar said, staring at his soulmate from the corner of his eye. “I guess I’m not entirely opposed to the idea.”

Chris’s eyes narrowed slightly in scrutinization at Sky’s choice of wording, and the look alone made a slight pang of guilt rise in Sky’s chest.

“That’s alright,” Margarette shrugged. “You’re both young with plenty of time to decide what you want for yourselves in the future.”

“Would be nice to have grandchildren, though,” Kenji hummed, shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth. “Not to be pushy, or anything.”

“We’ll consider it in the future,” Chris shrugged and immediately sought to change the subject.

Some time later, Chris and Sky we’re preparing to head back home before it got too late. Chris hugged both of his parents goodbye, and while Sky wasn’t all that surprised when Margarette pulled him into another hug, he admittedly tensed when Kenji did the same. If Kenji noticed it, he didn’t comment on the matter, and Sky was grateful for it.

The ride back to Chris’s apartment was quiet, but it wasn’t quite by choice. Sky had attempted to start up multiple conversations with his soulmate, but Chris almost immediately shut each and every attempt down. It reminded him of the way Chris had shut him out the first time they’d gone on a double date with Cassandra and Trevor. Likewise, he found himself getting annoyed with the raven much like he did that day, but he chose to remain patient, because as much as he wanted to, there was no forgetting their first fight that had also occurred that day due to Sky’s short temper.

His patience paid off. Eventually, Chris spoke up, but it was to question him on a matter Sky wasn’t quite in the mood to talk about.

“What did you mean when you said you weren’t  _entirely_ opposed to the idea of children?” Chris asked. “Do you not want children?”

The question was just as uncomfortable as when Margarette had initially asked it for Sky, and he found himself thinking of his next words as if he were treading on glass.

“Children have never crossed my mind, I guess. I mean, if you want children, then—”

“You can just say no,” Chris sighed, mildly annoyed at what he perceived was about to leave Sky’s mouth. It was obvious how opposed to the idea the blonde was when he started to leave the decision up to Chris as if they were discussing whether or not to get a pet. “I’m not upset or anything. I was just wondering.”

Sky reached over to run a hand over the raven’s thigh before squeezing his knee comfortingly. “You seem upset.”

“I’m not—”

“Chris.”

“I just forgot about the whole not being able to have biological children thing,” Chris finally admitted on a single breath of air. He reached over to briefly cup the side of his soulmate’s face when he stopped at a stoplight. “I guess I’d just be nice to be able to have children that look like you and I. Children that share our DNA.”

“You’re upset I’m not a woman that can have your child?” Sky joked and admittedly in poor taste.

“Of course not.” Chris turned his attention back to the road. “I already told you I’m perfectly happy being with you. Don’t ever doubt that.”

Easier said than done.

“At least dinner went well.”

“Heh,” Chris huffed out. “Nice subtle change of subject.”

Sky leaned into the car door and let his eyes shut. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to say.”

“It’s okay.” Chris blindly grabbed Sky’s hand in his own. “You don’t have to say anything.”

The rest of the car ride went smoothly, and by the time they arrived at Chris’s apartment and settled in to go to sleep, Sky was having an intense amount of trouble doing so. He laid awake and watched his soulmate sleep soundly against his chest before reaching over to grab his phone from the nightstand. He clicked on his messages and sent a quick text to Cassandra.

[Sky]: You awake?

Not even a minute later, he received a reply.

[Cassandra]: Lucky for you, that sadly seems to be the case. What do you need, love?

[Sky]: I need a ride.

[Cassandra]: This late? Where to?

[Sky]: Out of state.

[Cassandra]: What the hell do you mean out of state? You want to leave tonight? Does Chris know about this?

Sky spared a glance down at his soulmate and tightened his grip around the man.

[Sky]: You don’t have to agree to this, you know?

[Cassandra]: You already know I’d practically do anything for you, no matter how crazy. Besides, I owe you for the Ryan situation. I’m just confused. What’s going on, Sky? Are you okay?

[Sky]: I’ll explain it all to you in person if you pick me up from Chris’s place.

It took a couple of minutes for Sky to receive a response.

[Cassandra]: Be ready. I’ll be there in a few.

[Sky]: Thanks, Cass.

Sky tried to the best of his ability to shift from under Chris which he successfully managed to do after a few tries. As soon as he was on his feet, Chris was murmuring to him, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to be fully awake or aware.

“Where are you going?” Chris slurred sleepily, his eyes cracked open slightly.

Sky leaned down to press his lips against Chris’s before moving away to grab a change of clothes. “I’ll be back soon.”

“From where?”

Sky chewed at his bottom lip. He didn’t want Chris to know what was going on. He didn’t want to have to talk about it. If he had it his way, he wouldn’t even explain the situation to Cassandra, but that wouldn’t be fair of him. Not when she was going out of her way to drive him to another state at such short notice.

So instead, Sky settled with another lingering kiss and whispered, “I’ll explain everything when I get back,” before exiting his bedroom along with the apartment to make his way down to the parking lot to wait for Cassandra.

He truly hoped he wouldn’t come to regret the decision he was about to make.


	19. Folded Wings

Sitting up and stretching his arms behind his head, Chris was quick to notice Sky was not by his side as soon as he gained even a semblance of consciousness. Initially, he just assumed that maybe Sky had gone to the bathroom or had woken up earlier to make breakfast, but he knew that wasn’t the case when he noticed the utter silence throughout the apartment that seemed so  _loud_.

Then, he remembered the night beforehand when Sky had gotten up only to tell him that he would be back soon. Sky never answered when he asked him where he was going, and Chris felt worry worming its way into the pit of his stomach.

He ran a hand over his face and reached over to grab his phone from his nightstand. At first, he called. Once, twice, and then a third time, but each and every time his calls went to voicemail. Then, he attempted to reach his soulmate by text.

[Chris]: Where are you?

The raven set his phone back down and attempted to go through his typical morning routine. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and took a hot shower before returning to check if Sky had returned his message.

His message remained unread.

A part of him was glad Sky wasn’t blatantly ignoring him which meant he hopefully hadn’t done anything to upset the blonde. The other part of him grew even more unsettled because what if something was wrong? What if Sky had somehow gotten hurt?

Chris inhaled deeply in an attempt to call himself down.

“Dammit, Skylar.”

* * *

Sky took a deep breath, staring at the door in front of him but far too nervous to entertain the thought of just  _knocking on it_. He felt like an entirely different person at that moment in the skin he’d worn his entire life. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever felt so nervous besides…

Sky sighed. He was better than this, and he knew that. He wasn’t the type of person to let things intimidate and get to him. Intimidation led to weakness, weakness to failure, and Sky was  _anything_ but a failure.

Despite all of that, Sky still couldn’t get himself to just  _knock_.

He wanted to blame everything on the fact that he hadn’t gotten any sleep. He’d stayed awake the entire duration of the car ride talking to Cassandra about things that meant practically nothing if only to get his mind off of where they were going and who he’d see once they got there. It worked then, but it had also come back to stab him in the back, now.

Sky pulled his phone from his pocket when he felt it vibrate. He unlocked it, and the first things he saw were the three missing calls from his soulmate and the one text asking where he’d gone. His brow furrowed in guilt, but he still neglected to respond to the man. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to. He just  _couldn’t_. Not when he was sure of the thousands of questions that would follow his reply, and he just couldn’t handle that. Not when it already took physical effort for him to just  _think_ , let alone speak.

The next thing he saw was the most recent message which had just come from Cassandra. He turned to glance behind him only to see Cass still hadn’t driven off yet despite her own fatigue. He saw the warm smile she sent him and the thumbs up of encouragement. He gave a weak smile back and once again glanced down at her message once she began to drive away.

[Cassandra]: Good luck! I love you, buddy!

“I love you, too, idiot,” Sky whispered aloud to nothing but the air around him, his smile widening a bit.

He couldn’t chicken out now. Cassandra had driven him all the way to the next state over at short notice and in the middle of the night. All because she still somehow harbored guilt about something Sky wasn’t even upset over and couldn’t see that she was the best friend Sky had ever had. He couldn’t let all of that be for nothing.

He gave a few rather light knocks to the door and waited, holding his breath in anticipation of who’d be on the other side of the door as if awaiting a monster.

Not even a few moments later, a woman opened the door covered in a tattered, old robe that Sky recognized from years prior. The woman looked tired, like she hadn’t slept in days, and it somehow managed to add a good number of years of age to her outward appearance. Or maybe, that had more to do with the fact that Sky hadn’t seen her since he graduated high school.

“Mom,” Sky murmured, shifting on his feet.

The woman pursed her lips, her features scrunching up. “Skylar. I didn’t think you would come.”

“Did you not want me to?” Sky asked, his voice meek.

“Of course I wanted to see you,” she whispered, hesitantly reaching forward to wrap her arms around Sky in a loose embrace. Her body felt cold. “How long has it been?”

“Five years,” Sky answered, trying to will the chills that wracked his body away elsewhere. He attempted to focus his attention on something else as soon as he pulled away from her. “Where’s dad?”

“He was out getting the two of us breakfast, but that was a while ago so he should be back soon.” She reached out to place her hands on his shoulders. “Skylar, I’m glad you’re here. I truly am, but I need to make sure you understand something. Your father… he didn’t want to see you so you two can make up and ignore that the past five years happened. He wants to see you because  _he wants to see you_. I hope you aren’t expecting anything more than that. Not because you don’t deserve it, but because I don’t want you to have false hope, Skylar.”

Sky hadn’t expected more than that. If he were being honest with himself, his expectations were as low as they were ever going to get, because that had been his coping mechanism when he was younger.

If you expect nothing and get nothing, you can’t be disappointed. If you expect nothing but get even a  _little_  in return, you’ve exceeded your expectations. That thought process was what helped him get through school on his worst of days and life in general for the longest of times.

It was what kept him from gaining  _false hope_.

“Why are you telling me this?” Sky asked.

“I don’t know, I just—” She cut herself off, stepping away from Sky and turning her gaze onto her feet. “I think it’s best if you don’t bring up anything concerning sexuality when your father returns.”

Sky’s eyes narrowed. “What—”

“No!” Her sudden fierce glare shocked Sky into silence. “You don’t get to have an attitude with me because I’m trying to help you, Skylar. I need you to hear me out, alright? Don’t talk about your sexuality because it’s not what matters right now. What matters is you’ve finally reunited with your family after all these years. We’re finally together again, Skylar. Not everyone has a family to return to, so be grateful for that.”

“You know that isn’t true,” Sky muttered. “My sexuality is practically  _all_ that has mattered about me since I had come out to you guys.”

“False or not, you  _will_ pretend it’s true. If you can’t pretend for yourself, then do it for me, alright?”

“What the hell have  _you_ ever done for  _me_?”

Her dull grey eyes narrowed, and her frown deepened. “I’ve given you the clothes on your back, food on the table, and a roof over your head. Your father and I both.”

Sky fought to keep himself from rolling his eyes. “Whatever. Can I come in?”

“Yeah…” She took some steps back to allow Sky room to enter. She watched as Sky’s eyes roamed over every inch of the place before saying, “I’m going to go change into something more appropriate. Feel free to look around if you must.”

Sky did just that as soon as his mother disappeared upstairs. It didn’t take too long of looking around to notice something that left his already apparent annoyance transforming into raging anger that he physically fought to keep from exploding.

If he hadn’t grown up in that house his entire childhood, he would have never thought he’d ever lived there. There was no record of his existence  _anywhere_. No photos, drawings, notebooks, old toys, academic awards… nothing. He could see the spaces where his pictures had once hung, and it made the walls look so empty.

It made the rooms look so  _different_ and unknown.

He grabbed a particular family portrait from the wall that stood out the most to him. It was a picture they had all taken the day of his graduation. His mother grinned at him like a proud mother would, and his father even spared a small smile despite the fact he was never one to do such a thing. The man had always been all blank stares or scowls. It was something Sky had learned to get used to.

In the middle of his parents stood a younger version of himself. He couldn’t quite recall what expression he’d been making that day, because there was a hole through the portrait where his face had once been.

The sight was enough to make his heart ache in an uncomfortable way. At that point, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to scream, cry, or maybe just up and leave, because suddenly,  _anything_ seemed better than facing that sad truth.

He’d spent so long trying to convince himself that he didn’t care what his parents thought about him that he had started to believe it. But now, all those plastic walls began to crumble around him, and it left him with a certain vulnerability he hadn’t felt in a long time.

His mother returned some minutes later and immediately froze upon realizing just what was gripped so tightly in one of his hands.

“Skylar,” she murmured, “that wasn’t my doing or your father’s.”

“Then who did it?” Sky snapped, his face burning red. “A fucking ghost?”

“A…” She paused for a second. “One of my coworker’s daughters. She was just messing around—”

“And she happened to cut out  _my_  face?” Sky said. “Just mine?”

His mother remained silent, and Sky was sure the painful quiet would have lasted forever if it weren’t for the fact that his father came through the door not even a minute later. His father didn’t even get the chance to be surprised to see the blonde there, because immediately when his face came into view, Sky finally exploded.

“Are you serious?” he asked incredulously, waving the portrait around for the man to see. Sky’s eyes burned, and he wished with every ounce of his being that it would just  _go away_. “I know it was you, because its  _always_ you.”

His father didn’t instantly react. Instead, the man slowly removed his shoes and set them aside as if he had all the time in the world. “Nice to see you, too.”

“Who did this?” Sky asked again. “And don’t fucking lie to me.”

His father looked bored when he replied. “You’re not going to talk to me like that in my own home, Skylar.”

“Who fucking did it?” Sky demanded to know, ignoring the man’s previous comment.

His father shrugged. “I did. Can you honestly blame me?”

Sky’s eyes widened at the casual admittance, and he was left momentarily speechless.

His father cocked an eyebrow at him. “What? You know I’d never lie to someone like you. I’m always as honest as I can be. For example, I think you need a haircut and soon, because you barely look like a man.”

“Do you know how scared I was?” Sky started to say, ignoring what had just left his father’s mouth. “The only thought driving me to come out to you guys was the fact that you would support me. That you would be okay with it, but if you weren’t, I wouldn’t care because I would be gone either way.

“Skylar—” his mother tried to interrupt, but he just kept on going.

“But when the time came and… that  _look_. That look of disappointment crossed your face, and it hurt  _so much_ even though I really didn’t want that to be the case. It felt as if my entire world had just crashed around me just because of that  _fucking look_ , and the only thing you had to say to me was, “I’m so glad you’re leaving.” And then, it felt like I would never breathe again.”

His father’s face twisted into a frown, and he moved to sit the food he’d picked up on a table. He turned condescending eyes onto Sky. “How old are you? Twenty-three years old, and you still haven’t figured out how this world works? No one gives a damn about how you feel and no one ever will. You can’t present something abnormal to a group of people and expect for them to change their vision so they can see something normal. The world is never going to accept someone like you—”

“That’s the fucking thing!” Sky shouted, a tear escaping from one of his eyes. “I’ve never given a single shit what the world thought about me. The only opinions that mattered to me were  _yours_!”

“I would never believe that if you hadn’t just told me yourself,” his father stated, his teeth gritted. “If our opinions mattered so much, why didn’t you listen to either one of us? Why did you decide to run away, instead?”

“You think I can just wake up and decide I like women?” Sky seethed. “If only it were ever that fucking easy. If only people weren’t hated simply because of who they choose to sleep with. If only people weren’t fucking  _murdered_  for loving whoever the fuck they love. People like you are so concerned about shit that ultimately doesn’t matter that you forget what does.”

“Yeah?” his father humored. “Like what?”

“How about all the people that have committed suicide because they feel so helpless as to think someone like them doesn’t belong in the world because of toxic assholes like you. Or the people that believe they don’t even  _deserve_ to be on this goddamn earth just because they have a different preference sexually.”

“As far as I’m concerned, those are just the symptoms of an incurable disease. A mental issue that people like  _you_ want to call love.”

“You know,” his mother finally spoke up, her face flushed and tear after tear streaming down her face. She looked completely  _broken_ , and it had Sky’s breath catching. “When you say stuff like that, it makes me wonder why I ever fell for you in the first place. Soulmates or not.”

For once, an emotion became as clear as day on his father’s face; rage. “That’s because you’re weak for this boy—”

“ _My_ boy,” she sobbed. “My son and your son, too. What the hell don’t you get about that? Just because he’s gay doesn’t change the amount of love I have for him and will  _always_ have for him. You’re the reason I haven’t seen his face in  _five fucking years_. All because you’re too stubborn to understand that love hurts  _no one_. The only thing that does is your hate, and you have an awful lot of it.”

“Amelia, you understand exactly why I’ve—”

“No!” she interrupted. “I’ve  _tried_ to understand just like I’ve  _tried_ to lie for your sake. I’ve tried to save your ass again and again, but you’ve never noticed because your head is so deep in the sand.”

“Skylar is tearing this family apart!” his father growled.

“The only thing destroying us is  _you_ ,” Amelia said and snatched the portrait that was still within Sky’s hand. She held it out to the man and pointed at the hole that ran through it. “Look what you’re doing to Skylar. To our family!”

His father stood there shaking in anger until he promptly turned on his heel, his keys jingling in his hand.

“I’m going to go for a drive and by the time I come back, I want you  _gone_.” He turned one last glare onto Sky. “For good.”

Sky and his mother stood there in silence even when the man was long gone. Amelia’s eyes were trained on the portrait when she said, “this was the last picture I had of you.”

“What happened to the rest?” Sky whispered, unsure if he even wanted to know.

“He burned them,” she responded softly. “Said he couldn’t bear to look at them anymore. I’d almost forgotten what you look like…”

Sky, unable to hold back his emotions anymore, turned to wrap his mother into a tight hug. His head rested on her shoulder as tear after tear flooded from his eyes only to dampen her shirt. It wasn’t as if Amelia was doing any better. Her own tears left the front of his shirt soaked in no time at all.

“I’m so sorry, Skylar,” she sobbed.

“Don’t apologize,” he whispered back. “You have no idea what all of this means to me. Thank you… for sticking up for me.”

“I’m just doing what I’ve been too scared to do for years.” She pulled away from Sky and reached up to wipe some of the tears from his face. “You’ve grown up so well. You’re more of a man than your father will ever be.”

Sky cracked a smile. “Thank you.”

Amelia smiled back, but it disappeared a second later. “You should probably go.”

“So soon?”

“Before your father gets back and this whole situation gets worse. You know you can call or text me anytime.”

“Yeah, okay,” Sky murmured, moving toward the door. He turned to stare at his mother once more to dedicate her face to memory because he, too, had almost forgotten what she looked like. “I love you, mom.”

She nodded, tears in her eyes.

“I love you, too, Sky.”

* * *

Cassandra picked him up around three blocks past his parent’s home. When he’d called, she didn’t ask questions. She didn’t even make any comments concerning how short of a visit it’d been. She simply told him she would be there as soon as possible, and she made good on that promise.

“Hey, love,” Cassandra said as soon as he crawled into the car.

“Hey.” His face was still red, and he knew it. He also acknowledged how obvious it was that he’d been crying, so he turned toward the window so it wasn’t as apparent to Cassandra. “Thanks for doing all of this for me. It means a lot.”

“Anytime.” For some time, the drive remained comfortably silent, but Cass eventually broke it to ask a question that had Sky briefly surprised. “Remember when you came out to me?”

Sky laughed a bit. “Wish I didn’t.”

“Yeah, I guess it wasn’t exactly a coming out,” Cassandra chuckled. “Well, anyway, when I had caught you at the time, the last thing that was on my mind was what you were getting off to.”

“Cass, please no,” Sky groaned, heavy embarrassment making itself known.

Cassandra only continued without missing a beat. “To be honest, I was more surprised to see what you were getting off  _with_. Your privates were the first I’d ever seen, and  _sheesh_  was that something. At first, when you freaked out on me, I had thought it was because of that, but then I realized that the majority of the world is insane. That majority of the world is so interested about who’s having sex with who, and that you just assumed I would be within that majority.”

“I remember you tearing up due to a fear that shouldn’t exist. I remember laughing at you and telling you that there was nothing to worry about. That I was your best friend and could care less what gender you were into, and that I  _also_ saw the appeal in men so who the hell was I to judge you just because you weren’t a woman.”

“I was so pissed when you’d said that at the time,” Sky said truthfully. “I hated how optimistic you were about something I perceived you could never truly understand.”

“How do you feel about it now?”

“I think you’re a literal angel,” Sky whispered, “and that I’m so glad we never drifted apart like everyone seems to do once they graduate and move on to college. I can’t imagine where or what I’d be without you.”

Cassandra grinned, her eyes glossy. “Right back at you, love.”

* * *

The two of them stayed the night at a hotel so they could rest up before driving back home the next morning. Cassandra had gone out cold the moment her head hit her pillow while Sky laid awake in his own bed.

Despite his own fatigue, he couldn’t bring himself to fall asleep without making an important call.

He held his phone up to his ear and listened for the moment the call was received.

“Sky?” A tired voice said not even two rings later.

“Chris.” Sky let out a sigh, leaning back against the bed’s headboard. “I’m okay. I’m sorry for ignoring your calls and texts. I promise you everything’s alright and that I’ll be home by tomorrow morning.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m sleeping at a hotel for the night.”

“What—”

“Just give me time, okay?” Sky said. “I’ll explain everything to you when it’s easier for me to do so.”

There was a pause on the other line before Sky heard a sigh. “You swear? Do you promise that you’re okay and that you’ll eventually tell me everything?”

“I promise.” Sky let out a yawn, his eyes drooping a bit. “I’m gonna have to let you go so I can get some sleep.”

“I love you, Skylar.”

Sky smiled. “I love you, too, Chris.”

“Goodnight. See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight.”


	20. Fly & Touch The Sky

The gentle rolling of tires against concrete was soothing in a way Sky hadn’t known possible. Lidded hazel eyes watched the clouds dance overhead and relished in the way the sun warmed his chilled skin like a warm blanket. Birds traveled in a pack in the opposite direction. Their movement was smooth and graceful, and he wondered what it would feel like to be in their place.

What would it feel like to touch the sky?

He wasn’t left wondering for long because his exhaustion was quick to catch up with him. Twisting and turning throughout the seemingly endless night with thought after thought attacking his consciousness was finally showing its effect. His hair whipped in the direction of the wind and he reveled at the gentle feeling. The wind felt like tender fingers lulling him to sleep and sooner than later, he was out cold.

Hours later, Cassandra pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex in which Chris lived. As soon as she parked, she exited the driver side of the car to cross over to the passenger’s side. She didn’t pull open the door due to Sky leaning on it, but instead, she softly tapped on the window with a single knuckle.

The blonde startled and had to wipe the sleep from his eyes before he could decipher where they were. Once he did, he, too, exited the car and mumbled a “thanks” in his friend’s direction. Before he could begin the short walk to Chris’s front door, Cassandra pulled him into an unexpected hug.

Sky sighed, wrapping his arms around his best friend just as tightly. Cassandra pulled away from the exchange and placed her hands on both of his shoulders.

“You have no idea how proud I am of you,” she whispered, grinning when she noticed the blonde’s face gaining a tinge of pink and the way his eyes began to water up. “I am so lucky to have such a brave best friend. I’m  _so lucky_ to be able to call someone like you family.”

Sky felt his breath hitch but did everything in his power to prevent the tears from falling. He pulled her back into another firm embrace and almost broke when she returned the gesture once more. He held on as if he feared she would disappear once he let go and so did she.

“I’m even luckier to have you,” Sky said once they separated again. “Thank you, Cass. For everything…”

“Anytime,” Cassandra nodded just as a tear slipped free from the corner of one of her eyes. She attempted to wipe it away only for a flood of them to follow. She choked on a weird mixture of a laugh and sob as she said, “you’d think we were never going to see each other again with how emotional we’re getting.”

“Emotional?” One corner of Sky’s lips pulled up in a half smile. “I’m afraid to tell you that’s all you.”

“Jackass,” Cassandra accused even as she laughed. She turned to make her way back to her car after sending a small wave. “I’ll see you soon, Sky. Call me as soon as you can manage.”

“As soon as I can manage,” Sky promised and watched as she drove away.

He took a deep breath and hastily made his way to the person who he felt he needed the most at that moment. His promptness was more so because he knew that if he took his time, he would have time to think. If he had time to think, he’d have time to chicken out and find himself running away elsewhere.

But that wasn’t what he wanted, and it definitely wasn’t what he  _needed_.

When he finally made it to just outside Chris’s apartment, he almost knocked on the door but caught himself when he realized that he had a key. He ran a finger over said key that hung around his neck and could feel his eyes water up as he thought back on his and Chris’s time together. The good times and the bad times alike.

Like the first time he’d fallen asleep in his soulmate’s arms and how warm it’d been. How  _comforting_ it’d been. It’d been directly after they’d made up from their first ever fight, and somehow that proximity had meant more than any “sorry” either one of them could ever conjure up, because it meant that everything was truly okay. Everything was once again okay between them, and when they had their next fight, everything would be okay once more.

 _When_ and not  _if_ because arguments were bound to happen. Something else he’d learned in the process of being by his soulmate’s side.

Another notable moment had been the time Chris had caught him singing to himself while he straightened up his room and had bothered him about it for the rest of the day.

_“Come on! Just sing something again.”_

_“No, thanks.”_

_“I promise I won’t make any comments.”_

_“Jesus, Chris, if you want to hear someone sing, call up Cassandra. I’m one-thousand percent sure she’d be willing to sing for you for however long you want.”_

_“But I’m one-thousand percent sure her voice won’t be as beautiful as yours.”_

And not to mention, there was the first time Sky had ever seen Chris sick. He’d stayed at Chris’s place whenever he wasn’t at work, and to present day, the blonde still couldn’t figure out if Chris was just being over dramatic or seriously feeling absolutely awful.

_“Why do you keep leaving me?”_

_“Because I have bills that sadly aren’t going to pay themselves.”_

_“Those bills aren’t going to matter when you come back to find a corpse.”_

_“Don’t be so sure about that.”_

_“Well, that makes me feel_ great.  _Thanks, Sky_.”

Sky had leaned down to press a kiss to Chris’s cheek despite his soulmate’s protests and told Chris that he loved him for what seemed like the one-billionth time. Chris was quick to murmur said phrase back.

Sky laughed to himself at the memory and finally pushed the key into the keyhole before pushing open the door. He barely had time to remove his shoes before he heard a door open from the other side of the apartment. Not even a minute later, Chris appeared around the corner and hastily made his way to Sky’s side with a concerned look.

Chris cupped the side of his face tenderly and asked, “where have you been? Are you okay? What happened?”

“I was with Cassandra—”

“Are you sure?” Chris questioned, brow furrowing. “Because she was the first person I called when you disappeared, and she told me she had no idea where you were. Then, Trevor called  _me_ and asked if I knew where Cassandra was and…  _God_ , Sky you can’t do shit like that. I was so scared and Trevor was worried—”

“I’m sorry,” Sky whispered. “I shouldn’t have left you in the dark like that. I just… I didn’t want to talk about what was going on.”

Chris’s eyes softened. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do, but I handled everything by myself. Well, Cassandra helped, but I mean without having to make a big deal about it to you.”

“Where the hell were you two?”

“I was with my parents,” Sky admitted. “And Cassandra was the one who gave me a ride.”

“Your… parents?” Chris’s face twisted in a clear show of confusion. “Don’t they live in another state? And I thought you didn’t get along with them—”

“They got into contact with me. They said they missed me and that they wanted to see me again so I went to see them.”

“But I thought they weren’t approving of—”

“Not now, Chris.”

“But—”

“ _Not now_ ,” Sky reiterated with a shake of his head. “I promise I’ll go into detail about everything later, but not now.”

Chris sighed and pulled his soulmate into his chest, running his fingers through the blonde’s hair. “You’ve got to stop trying to tackle everything on your own. Just because you can doesn’t always mean you should. You scare me when you shut me out like that, and I want you to know that I’m always willing to help out with any problems you have. I would be  _elated_ to, actually, but I need you to  _let me_.”

“You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m here now.”

“Promise me you won’t do what you did again?” Chris asked hesitantly. “And that you’re here to stay?”

Sky leaned up to dab his lips against his boyfriend’s.

“I promise.”

* * *

Sky watched from his place on the floor as Chris finished getting the last box inside. The raven wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and let out an exhausted sigh. Chris narrowed his eyes at Sky and Sky returned the irritated look with a coy smile.

“You could have helped, you know?”

“You could have helped pack, but I didn’t see you around when it was time to do  _that_ , now did I?”

Chris rolled his eyes and moved to sit beside the blonde. “I  _did_ help.”

“When?”

“Fine. Whatever.” Chris reached out to push a strand of Sky’s hair behind his ear. The blonde had cut the lengthy locks short enough to just barely graze his shoulders a while ago, and while it took some time to get used to, he could safely admit he’d grown to love the look on his soulmate. “You’re gonna help unpack, right?”

“I’ll think about it.”

Chris gently pushed Sky backwards until his back was against the floor and Chris was hovering above him. The raven leaned down to brush his lips against his boyfriend’s neck before he latched his teeth onto the sensitive flesh tenderly. He heard Sky hum at the sensation and was about to attempt to go a little further when he was interrupted by a groan across the room.

“You two are fucking gross,” Trevor said. He threw each of them a water bottle and cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t even have any furniture and you guys are already ready to go at it on the floor? And didn’t you just say you were tired, Chris?”

“I already told you you could leave, so why are you still here?” Chris asked, unscrewing the cap on his water bottle to chug a good portion of the drink down his throat.

“Thanks for helping us move, Trevor,” Sky said, exchanging a look with his soulmate even as the words left his mouth. “Not to be rude or anything, but you know. You can go now.”

Trevor rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle. “Whatever. Fuck both of you.”

The two of them waited until Trevor finally made his exit and shut the door behind him. For extra measure, they waited until they heard the sound of his car starting up followed by the sound of him driving away, as well, before Chris made another move.

The following kiss was powerful but passionate and by the time they pulled apart from one another for air, both of them were rosy faced and panting as if they’d just run a marathon.

“This isn’t exactly how I expected this day to play out,” Sky panted against his lips.

“Me neither, but it’s a good stress reliever.” He moved to lay to the side when Sky placed a telling hand to his chest and watched as his soulmate moved to straddle his hips. His lips pulled into a smirk when Sky pinned either one of his hands down on either side of his head.

“You’re right about that.” Sky leaned in the leave a mark on Chris’s collarbone. “And moving  _has_ been a little stressful.”

“So it has…”

Sky leaned down further so they were eye to eye with a grin. “You sure you wanna do this right now? We don’t have any condoms or lube, and I’m not sure that sex on a hardwood floor is the most comfortable of things.”

Chris smiled back, running a hand down Sky’s back absentmindedly. “I hope you’re comfortable here. I know you might miss your old apartment.”

Sky scoffed. “We picked this house together. Besides, before, I spent more time at your place than I spent at my own after I met you a year ago.”

“I just want to be sure.”

Sky shifted to rest his forehead against Chris’s and the two of them let their eyes slip shut.

“Don’t worry,” Sky breathed. “Surprisingly, I feel at home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've finally made it to the end! Thanks to everyone who took the time to give this story a chance! I'm entirely grateful for each and every one of you!


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